In a county where youth far to often yield to the pitfalls of the streets, the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League (DSAL) seeks to provide stability for at risk children who encompass the unincorporated areas of the county.
“Our goal is not just to create [temporary] band-aids but to build the capacity of the community to establish long lasting organizations for underprivileged children,” said Hilary Bass, DSAL program director and crime prevention specialist.
The DSAL offers a slew of recreational and educational opportunities through various programs that aim to stimulate and inspire the minds of youth in the Bay Area.
Started in 2004 as an alternative to youth crime, the league targets children in Ashland, Cherryland and San Lorenzo where resources are both scarce and limited due to the absence of a governing body.
In addition to the lack of local government, unincorporated communities are left without libraries, development agencies and public safety departments.
Cherryland resident Esperanza Gonzalez said the absence of expected city amenities makes it difficult for her children to stay out of trouble.
“Without public services like parks and recreation departments to keep them busy, my children always seem to find one trouble after another,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why it’s important that we have more programs like the [DSAL].”
Bass said the nonexistence of city services often leads to an influx of poor behavior and only negatively affects the community’s poverty rate.
Though San Lorenzo’s poverty rate was less than the county average, Ashland and Cherryland are home to the highest poverty and unemployment rates in Alameda County.
Nearly 18 percent of Ashland’s population classifies as extremely low-income—earning less than 30 percent of the average medium income—, while 15.9 percent of Cherryland’s population falls into that bracket, according to the 2006 Alameda County Economic Development Strategic Plan.
Bass said by targeting youth in unincorporated areas, they are inherently reaching out to low-income youth, primarily black and Hispanic.
Nearly 43 percent of Ashland, Cherryland and San Lorenzo’s population combined are of Hispanic or African American descent.
“Coincidentally, unincorporated areas inhabit the lowest income families,” said Bass. “There are various problems associated with these communities, including a high rate of obesity and teen pregnancy, as well as the most high-risk youth.”
Alameda County Assistant Director of Economic Development Bill Lambert said typically crime, poverty, unemployment and health rates are all interdependent and also directly related.
“It’s important that we find alternatives for kids in Alameda’s [unincorporated areas] for these very reasons,” said Bass.
Bass has seen a significant hike in participation levels since 2005; attributing the incline to the recent presence of opportunities versus the total void of activities in the past.
The non-profit organization served over 3000 Alameda County youth last year; promoting leadership, teamwork and crime prevention through its Furthering Youth Inspiration (FYI) group, Dig Deep Farm program and soccer league.
While the 950 participant soccer league provides opportunity through recreational activity, the youth-ran FYI group and farming program works to discover issues impacting local youth and their community and plan strategically to reduce the social issues that are present.
Youth involved in the FYI group advocated for change in their community by hosting violence prevention rallies and encouraging the county to invest in a youth center, which they envision will serve as a safe haven for youth in need of assistance.
After six years of fundraising and rallying for their cause, the youth center is estimated to open its doors at the end of the year.
Though the DSAL’s fundamental goal is crime prevention within the unincorporated areas of the county, Bass believes the more complex goal is to create long-standing institutions in the community that will eventually become safety nets for youth in need of guidance.
