In Ken Hart's Guest Commentary ("Trece editorial relies on false assumptions," March 4) he makes a number of false allegations and misleading comments. We don't expect everyone to agree with us on the use of gang injunctions and we certainly recognize that reasonable minds can disagree. However, it is irresponsible to distort the facts to strengthen one's arguments. This is exactly what Mr. Hart has done.
When I was appointed as the county attorney in May of 2009, I made it one of my top priorities to combat the rise of gang activity and gang violence in this community. I began working with Lt. Scott Conley of the Ogden Police Department to look for proactive ways to deal with our gang problem. Our efforts have not focused solely on enforcement. The Ogden Police Department has worked diligently to educate kids about the dangers of gang membership. The Ogden Police Department also organized the C.R.O.S.S. program which works with juveniles who are in gangs or who are at a high risk to join a gang. It focuses on education, developing employment skills, staying in school, drug and alcohol education and encourages them to become involved in pro-social activities that will move them away from the gangs.
