My 'Gang Prevention' Brainstorming Letter Today to Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz:

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "John McMillan" <>

To: "Mike Schultz" <mikeschultz@le.utah.gov>, "Gay Lynn Bennion" <glbennion@le.utah.gov>, "mballard@le.utah.gov" <mballard@le.utah.gov>, "Paul A. Cutler" <pcutler@le.utah.gov>, "Marsha Judkins" <mjudkins@le.utah.gov>, "Brett Garner" <bgarner@le.utah.gov>, "State Rep. Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "Cameron Roden" <croden@utah.gov>, "jessanderson@utah.gov" <jessanderson@utah.gov>, "Schools Utah Webmaster" <webmaster@schools.utah.gov>, "Deseret News 2022" <dnweb@deseretnews.com>, "newsmedia@ldschurch.org" <newsmedia@ldschurch.org>, "Joel Briscoe" <jbriscoe@le.utah.gov>, "Jplumb" <jplumb@le.utah.gov>, "utahdistrict02@gmail.com" <utahdistrict02@gmail.com>, "Mayor Wilson" <mayor@slco.org>, "County Council Member Bradshaw" <arbradshaw@slco.org>, "llstringham@slco.org" <llstringham@slco.org>, "Eva Lopez Chavez" <eva.lopezchavez@slcgov.com>, "suharrison@slco.org" <suharrison@slco.org>, "Univ of Utah Criminology Dir. Heather Melton" <heather.melton@soc.utah.edu>, "Crimevictims GV" <crimevictims@utah.gov>, "Salt Lake County (UT) District Attorney 2022" <districtattorney@slco.org>, "UT_Webmanager" <ut_webmanager@hud.gov>, "Attorney General of Utah" <uag@utah.gov>, "Uag" <uag@agutah.gov>, "University of Utah Student Newspaper 2022" <press@chronicle.utah.edu>, "Utah Restaurant Association 2022" <info@utahrestaurantassociation.org>, "Utah Transit Authority" <llasker@rideuta.com>, "Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall 2021" <mayor@slcgov.com>, "Utah Peace Officers Association 2022" <homeupoa@gmail.com>, "Utah Chiefs of Police Assn 2021" <vshupe@utahchiefs.org>, "Jason Davis" <jason@utahrisk.org>, "shianne@utahrisk.org" <shianne@utahrisk.org>, "jordan@utahrisk.org" <jordan@utahrisk.org>, "anielson@murrayschools.org" <anielson@murrayschools.org>, "Nate Salazar" <nate.salazar@slcschools.org>, "emumford@dsdmail.net" <emumford@dsdmail.net>, "Utah Apartment Association 2022" <info@uaahq.org>, "Utah Safety Council" <safety@utahsafetycouncil.org>, "State Rep. Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "cpierucci@le.utah.gov" <cpierucci@le.utah.gov>, "Kimberly Foster" <kimberly.foster@wvc-ut.gov>, "chad.atkinson" <chad.atkinson@slcgov.com>, "Fox News SLC 2022" <news@fox13now.com>, "news@ksl.com" <news@ksl.com>, "ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov" <ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov>, "mgwynn@le.utah.gov" <mgwynn@le.utah.gov>, "jfeinauer@le.utah.gov" <jfeinauer@le.utah.gov>, "kcullimore@le.utah.gov" <kcullimore@le.utah.gov>, "vpeterson@le.utah.gov" <vpeterson@le.utah.gov>, "csmoss@le.utah.gov" <csmoss@le.utah.gov>, "Joe Dougherty (DHHS)" <joedougherty@utah.gov>, "Mark A. Strong" <mstrong@le.utah.gov>, "State Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost" <jdprovost@le.utah.gov>, "Office of Gov. Spencer Cox" <govcomm@utah.gov>, "Uthca Info" <info@uthca.org>, "Utah Medical Association 2021" <info@utahmed.org>, "Him-roi" <him-roi@umail.utah.edu>, "contactus@imail.org" <contactus@imail.org>, "foundation@imail.org" <foundation@imail.org>, "jsweeney@sltrib.com" <jsweeney@sltrib.com>, "Utah Public Radio 2022" <tom.williams@usu.edu>, "OCR Denver" <ocr.denver@ed.gov>, "Office for Victims of Crime (U.S. DOJ)" <itverp@usdoj.gov>, "amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu" <amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu>, "lish.harris@utahtech.edu" <lish.harris@utahtech.edu>, "chris.bertram@slcc.edu" <chris.bertram@slcc.edu>, "stephanie.hoffman@slcc.edu" <stephanie.hoffman@slcc.edu>, "Molly Sween" <mollysween@weber.edu>, "sociology@byu.edu" <sociology@byu.edu>

Cc: "mike.brown" <mike.brown@slcgov.com>, "todd.mitchell" <todd.mitchell@slcgov.com>, "slcpdpr@slcgov.com" <slcpdpr@slcgov.com>, "State of Utah Substance Use Advisory Council" <efklc@utah.gov>, "marie.stewart" <marie.stewart@slcgov.com>, "mike.brown" <mike.brown@slcgov.com>, "marie.stewart@slcgov.com" <marie.stewart@slcgov.com>, "Slchamber Info" <info@slchamber.com>

Sent: Sat, Feb 24, 2024 at 7:32 PM

Subject: Should UT DPS Coordinate Statewide Youth Gang Prevention?

February 24, 2024

Dear Utah State Legislature House Majority Leader Mike Schultz,

Thank you again for having invited me in writing on November 27, 2023, to send you additional brainstorming  letters about concerns of mine relating to Utah.

I am concerned that at present possibly there is no adequate statewide coordination of a system for evaluating the level of effectiveness of each of the respective Gang Prevention Programs for  each of the public school districts here in Utah.

I would like to respectfully raise the question of whether you believe that the Utah State House under your fine leadership should provide additional funding to the Utah Department of Public Safety state agency for statewide  coordination of  Gang Prevention enhancement  efforts at public schools throughout all of Utah.

I mention the Utah DPS partly because many of the illicit youth gang activities are occurring away from public school  campuses. 

I am  hopeful that the Utah DPS could  be assigned legal authority by the Utah State House to routinely compile an official Utah DPS report for each and every shooting or bomb threat that occurs at a public school  in Utah.  Each such report could specifically state whether that violence on a campus or threat of violence on a public school campus was Illicit Youth Gang- Related.

The current supervisory role  by the Utah State Board of Education in Gang Prevention (below, first two online links) is  very limited and indirect in nature. 

This reminds me that I am personally not sure whether the Utah State Board of Education currently employs any  certified peace officers with expertise on juvenile criminal justice issues.

The proposed annual or semiannual  evaluation by a "Utah DPS Statewide Gang Prevention Office" of Gang Prevention programs at all public schools in Utah could be accompanied by training assistance from the Utah DPS for increasing the effectiveness of each Gang Prevention Program for any school district where the local program is determined to be unsuccessful.

I would also like to point out that the "National Gang Center" (below, third online link) of the U.S. Department of Justice might help Utah public schools obtain additional federal funding for enhancing Gang Prevention efforts at  public schools in Utah where current Gang Prevention programs are ineffective.

 Possibly the Utah DPS could be provided with additional funding by the Utah State House  to conduct statewide studies or countywide studies on behalf of  illicit-youth-gang deterrence efforts. 

Thank you again, Utah House Majority Leader Schultz,  for inviting me to continue writing to you with concerns of mine about Utah. 

I hope this brainstorming letter might prove to be helpful to you and your colleagues with the Utah State House,  and to the thousands of  youths throughout Utah who are currently at risk of joining an illicit youth gang or who are currently a member of an illicit youth gang in our state.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

former Texas DPS full-time employee,  current permanent Utah resident, and current Utah restaurant-industry employee John Kevin McMillan, 535 South 200 East, Apt. 912, Ninth Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

My cell phone: (512) 993-7305.

My home phone: (801) 355-0850.

https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title53E/Chapter3/53E-3-S509.html

https://schools.utah.gov/prevention/gangintervention

https://nationalgangcenter.ojp.gov/insights/41/responding-to-gangs-in-the-school-setting