Gangs continue to grow in California, and their presence is spreading rapidly into suburbs, small cities, and rural areas as gang members try to avoid law enforcement. We need a combination of prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies to combat gang violence on a wide level. It takes community involvement-law enforcement can't combat gang violence alone. We need to have targeted gang prosecutions and coordinated efforts toward gang-prevention throughout the state. California's efforts to combat gangs and gang violence need to be stepped up and I assure you, the California Attorney General's office will be leading the charge.

I will work with local law enforcement, border patrol officers, sheriffs, probation officers, city attorneys, prosecutors and others to ensure the latest and most innovative technologies are used to share information in real-time and effectively combat crime. For example, getting cell phone jammers in all prisons in order to filter out communications between imprisoned gang members and non-imprisoned gang members will be a top priority.

As a former policy advisor to President Clinton's Department of Education, I understand that part of the solution is front-end prison reform by improving the education system to keep youths off the prison track. As Attorney General, I will work with our school principals, school boards and teachers to find innovative ways keep young people engaged in educational programs and extra-curricular activities that keep kids off the street and away from situations that might lead them to participate in gang activities. I will work with community groups and parents to stop gang activity before it starts.