YAKIMA, Wash. -- Yakima County took another step toward battling the region's gang problem Tuesday with the formation of a countywide Gang Commission.

The commission -- which will include representatives from the county commission, the county's 14 cities, the sheriff's office, the prosecutor's office and county courts -- will act as a clearinghouse for independent efforts by each of the jurisdictions. The Yakama Nation also has been invited.

Elected and community leaders, as well as police, from Mabton to Yakima hailed the effort as a key step in the fight against gangs.

"We all realize and recognize that gangs are a serious problem in our community," Prosecuting Attorney Jim Hagarty said at a public hearing Tuesday morning before county commissioners voted unanimously to approve the commission's formation.

The commission will hold its first meeting in July, and a coordinator is expected to be hired soon, said county commissioner Kevin Bouchey, who led the effort to create the organization. The county is expected to fund the position with non-general fund monies.

Police across the county will continue to enforce the law against gang members and investigate gang-related crimes.

Authorities estimate that more than 2,500 gang members are active in the county, more than half of them in Yakima. As many as seven of the 12 homicides across the county so far this year involved suspects or victims with gang ties.

Government officials say the commission will lead the effort to divert youngsters away from gangs.

Mabton Mayor Angel Reyna, a lifelong county resident, said he sees a lot of children who are being "lost" to the gang life and others who become innocent victims of gang activity.

"I want to continue to live here, but I want it to be a safe place for my children and for everyone in my community," Reyna testified at the hearing.

Bouchey said the commission's monthly meetings will help to coordinate anti-gang initiatives among the county and the cities. The coordinator will serve as a technical expert, particularly for the smaller communities, as they seek to establish programs such as block watch or crime-free rental housing.

The commission is not intended to dictate the best solution for each city, but the joint effort should lead to better coordination and communication for all, Bouchey said.

"Collectively, we have to be on the same page, and the gang commission is the vehicle to do that," he said.

Harold Delia, the county's court consultant, said many grants now require that requesting agencies have an entity such as the gang commission in place. The commission is expected to coordinate funding requests.

Bouchey said the local effort is modeled after the San Diego (Calif.) Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention, primarily because San Diego includes several distinct districts. Likewise, a solution that works for Yakima may have to be modified for Naches or Sunnyside.

According to the San Diego commission's website, the panel there has been responsible for ending gang recruitment and cutting violence around local schools, among other accomplishments.

Creation of the gang commission comes as the city of Yakima and other local governments over the past two years have stepped up the fight against gangs, which Hagarty said appear to be "arming themselves at an alarming rate."

Yakima is pushing a nuisance ordinance aimed at gang houses and looking to hire a coordinator for anti-gang efforts. The county is using federal funding to coordinate intervention at several local schools. Sunnyside and Toppenish have also launched efforts to involve community members in fighting back against violence.

Bouchey and other speakers at the hearing emphasized that the gang problem spreads beyond Yakima and across the state. But as driveby and gang homicides continue, momentum has grown to deal with the problem more aggressively.

"There has to be some action now," Bouchey said.

* Mark Morey can be reached at 509-577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.