Youth violence takes center stage at Santa Barbara City Council meeting
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. Santa Barbara saw two shootings in three months, four blocks apart. The first shooting on January 3 killed two teenagers and wounded two more on Liberty Street. The second shooting on March 29 killed a 23-year-old man on Eucalyptus Hill Road.
On Tuesday Santa Barbara’s City Council addressed the rise in gun violence. Santa Barbara Police Chief Bernard Melekian led the meeting’s special guest presentations. He said this year has been a tragic one already due to the rise in violence.
Santa Barbara city leaders are focusing to reduce violence among teens and young adults. In the special guest presentation, five different organizations addressed how they can keep Santa Barbara’s youths safer and have more positive options over gangs. Santa Barbara Unified School District Superintendent Hilda Maldonado said we’re only as good as our lowest-performing student.