To update the community on local violence and gang activity, the South Coast Youth Safety Partnership (SCYSP) will present a panel discussion, 3-5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 at Santa Barbara Foundation, 1111 Chapala St., Ste. 200, Santa Barbara,

SCYSP is a regional collaborative that includes CommUnify, Santa Barbara County Probation and Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara Police Department, and the cities of Goleta, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria, along with elected officials, education, faith community, philanthropic and community-based groups, youth and parents.

The mission of SCYSP is to improve and support the safety and quality of life for youth, families and community.

“We are looking forward to gathering members of the SCYSP together to learn about the current trends on youth safety and violence from Carpinteria to Goleta,” said Natalia Alarcon, director, Family and Youth Services for CommUnify.

“It is important that we as a community continue to have a pulse on the effects of the pandemic on our youth, and collaboratively work towards providing these vital services,” she said.

On March 14, 2007, 15-year-old Luis Angel Linares was the victim of a gang stabbing homicide during a gang brawl in downtown Santa Barbara. A 14-year-old was charged and found guilty of the killing.

Following the tragic incident, the city of Santa Barbara launched an effort to address youth gang violence. It became clear the issue of youth gang violence is a community problem that required a collaborative community effort to find a solution.

Standing with the community in the pursuit of equity and justice, SCYSP is committed to increasing safety while addressing the root causes of violence — the lack of economic opportunities — and supporting systems change, as well as reducing racial and ethnic disparities.

As a partnership, SCYSP’s work extends over a decade of a collaborative effort to reduce youth and gang violence and build safe and healthy communities for youth and their families.

SCYSP promotes the use of restorative approaches in schools, social justice in the community, and alternatives to incarceration through diversion programs and other community-focused solutions.

For more about the South Coast Youth Safety Partnership Panel Discussion, visit www.youthsafetypartnership.org.