The next time you see fresh gang graffiti in Carson City you can at least be assured that help is on the way.
The news of grants to fight the rising gang problem in Carson City is fantastic news that comes at a crucial time. In some cities, the gang problem is so ingrained that people have long ago given up hope of defeating it. People have stopped caring.
We are not at that stage, according to those in our city who work most closely on the issue. But that's what Carson City will become unless something is done now, while there is still hope.
The specifics of what these grants will mean for our city will become clear in the coming months, but we hope these are the kinds of resources that will help us win the battle.
One of them will bring experts into our community to see the problems first hand and then provide a plan for defeating the gang influence.
It's important to remember that what they come up with will be little more than words and paper. That plan will be important, but the real solution is already here in our community. It's the people who must carry out that plan by caring enough to step outside their comfort zone and do what it takes to win back their community.
People like those who showed up in April with the Carson City Community Coalition in Mills Park to send a message to gangs and to clean up the graffiti. It's those people and many more like them who are the real hope for our city.