Getting Answers: Is Youth Funding Falling Short After Recent Sacramento Tragedies?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The deadly K Street shooting in downtown Sacramento created a rallying cry from the state capital to the nation's capital.

While gun prevention advocates and policymakers called for tighter gun restrictions, Sacramento leaders vowed to double down on reaching at-risk kids while preventing gang violence.

It's the knee-jerk response, said Mervin Brookins of Brother 2 Brother, a mentoring group.

"The politicians do the politician thing. The CBOs do the CBO things," he said, referring to community-based organizations.

And the needle doesn't move, according to Brookins. His nonprofit partly focuses on de-escalating gang tensions.

Community groups like his said little movement has happened outside a few meetings.

"What the best thing that could've happened would've been a rollout for a major plan within the week of the last mass shooting," said Berry Accius of Voices of the Youth.

The self-described public safety ambassadors acknowledge some investments have been made to reach their target audience. But like the mayor, they agree it falls short of enough.

"My take has always been it's not about how much, it's about the commitment," Brookins said.

A lack of commitment could mean Brookins' team looks for jobs elsewhere if the group's city grant runs out within the next two months. Accius said his summer programs, which include providing jobs, may be affected without the city's support. They are concerned about what would happen if these services were to be interrupted.

"When that stops, then his life is disrupted again and then that exposes him to the problems you're trying to remove him from," Brookins said.

CBS13 did reach out to the Office of Violence Prevention about its summer plans, but it did not have that information available in time for this story, according to a spokesperson.

Within the last month, the department underwent some reshuffling as it now falls under the police department, city officials said.

The city council was expected to discuss youth funding during Tuesday's meeting but then pulled the discussion.