ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Garden City) recently introduced House Bill 883, legislation which would create the Georgia Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force. Rep. Gilliard will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the proposed legislation on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at 1 p.m. in room 341 of the State Capitol.
“The state has identified more than 71,000 gang members, and we need to intervene within schools and communities before it is too late for some of Georgia’s youth,” said Rep. Gilliard. “As the chair of the House Study Committee on Gang & Youth Violence Prevention, I am honored to introduce House Bill 883 to help address this serious issue by implementing a concrete intervention and prevention plan for at-risk youth.”
The Georgia Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force would develop and maintain a comprehensive state plan for strategic, coordinated and collaborative efforts between educational institutions and social service organizations to help prevent and intervene in criminal youth gang participation. Additionally, the task force would provide resources to community organizations to implement programs and initiatives to help deter youth gang activity. The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) would oversee the task force, and it would be comprised of 15 members appointed by various state agencies and organizations. Its members could serve up to two consecutive two-year terms, and they would serve without compensation.
House Bill 883 is a recommendation from the House Study Committee on Gang & Youth Violence Prevention, which was authorized during the 2019 legislative session to examine the rising rate of gang violence in Georgia and determine legislative recommendations for the 2020 legislative session.
For more information on HB 883, please click here.
For more information on the House Study Committee on Gang and Youth Violence Prevention, please click here.
Representative Carl Gilliard represents the citizens of District 162, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, State Properties and Transportation committees. He is a member of the Working Group on Creative Arts & Entertainment.
###