Open Space Forum Plans Next Steps to Fight Crime

The director of Safe Yakima Valley says the common theme at an open space forum Wednesday was the need to fight area crime -- especially car theft.

Carmen Mendez says the next step is to organize a meeting for area youths to air their concerns about Yakima.

To be able to get youth involved and being able to see what they’d like to see in the community, we’d like to do that.

Mendez also would like to see more Hispanics in the community speak up with ideas and solutions. She says all the ideas and the information learned at Wednesday meeting will be used to reach out more and form the Safe Yakima Valley's agenda for the next three years.

An agenda says Mendez that will include involving more kids in finding solutions to area problems.