Edhat Staff
(Photo: John Palminteri / KEYT)
Source: Santa Barbara Police Department
DRAGG, Drag Racing Against Gangs and Graffiti, is a program within Santa Barbara Police Activities League (SBPAL), a non-profit agency that provides an after school automotive program for high school students in the Santa Barbara area.
The goal of DRAGG is to provide a positive environment for youth to improve their self-worth by learning marketable skills in the automotive industry while preparing them for a productive life with mentorship from volunteer law enforcement officers and citizen volunteers ultimately resulting in continued education and job placement. This program has formed partnerships with the Santa Barbara School Districts and the Santa Barbara Police Department.
A perceived lack of opportunity and positive influences can contribute to a child’s likelihood to drop out of school and join gangs. DRAGG empowers youth to expand their view of the world by using the exciting automotive industry to showcase job opportunities with limitless earning potential. The program reinforces that through hard work, self-respect, and discipline a successful life of possible.
Through Classroom Education, the DRAGG shop, is a fully functioning automotive repair garage in which youth are taught auto mechanics by an accredited teacher. Mentorship, in addition to the teacher, the students will be introduced to local law enforcement officers and citizen volunteers who will act as classroom assistants. Students will also participate in Field Trips, that DRAGG will provide students with fun, safe learning opportunities that serve to stimulate the thought process and allow youth to dream outside their neighborhood.
Please join us at the:
Grand Opening – Saturday March 3rd 926 Indio Muerto at 12 Noon. Come see the newest automotive training facility in Santa Barbara for our local high school youth. Chick-fil-A will be on hand with tasty treats and sharing a variety of employment opportunities.
Free Benefit Concert – Sunday, March 11th at the Arlington Theatre. Raymond Michaels will be on stage performing “A Night with Elvis”. Show and Shine car show from 1 – 5:30 pm, Elvis Concert begins at 3:30 pm. Concert is fee thanks to a generous donor.
Great. That’s exactly the way to go to cut down on graffiti. Give them something else to do. I bet the graffiti kids have been waiting for an alternative activity like this one.
Waiting for the negative responses now.
Speaking of graffiti, anyone else notice the fences along the train tracks now totally covered with graffiti for all Amtrak passengers to enjoy. Welcome to Santa Barbara.
The point of the article is that people in our community are donating their time and efforts to provide a positive endeavor for the local youth to participate in, instead of joining a gang or becoming a tagger.
Sounds like a great program and much needed. I hope they include education regarding the dangers of driving impaired and street racing.
Wow. This sounds like a great waste of money and lack of creativity. How does this help with Drag Racing? Is that even a problem here? Lol.
How about let’s give people some places to tag freely, form a group, and volunteer to remove graffiti all over town. So let’s sell that fancy car because that serves zero purpose other than being (kinda) cool. No one that is seriously thinking of joining a gang is gonna be like: “maybe I can do this instead.” No, their homies are gonna laugh.