Combating Gang Violence

April 2008

Past Columns

Recent gang violence in our communities serves as a reminder that public safety is a priority.  Local law enforcement is on the front lines of this problem and the federal government has provided support in the form of cooperation and grants that can help with intelligence, training, equipment, and federal, state, and local partnerships.
Unfortunately, gang violence has been on the rise.  There are numerous task forces organized to coordinate efforts and intelligence gathering on gangs and drug-related violence.  The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force has field offices across the country, including three in Los Angeles.  This task force works with the National Gang Intelligence Center, which tracks gang trends and activities and provides information to all levels of law enforcement.  These efforts have had some success, but they are only a part of the picture.

Locally, cities like Monrovia and Duarte have been working together to protect our neighborhoods from gangs.  For example, the City of Monrovia has taken several innovative steps to combat gangs from both the suppression and prevention sides of the equation.  The Monrovia Police Department’s “saturation” patrols have paralyzed gang members’ ability to move about the community and commit crimes.  At the same time, the Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) Program and the Mayor & City Council’s Youth Employment Service (YES) Program focus on creating avenues for neighborhood empowerment, meaningful and positive work experiences for at-risk youth, and the long-term goal of eliminating the influence and allure of gangs, drugs and violence.  On the City of Monrovia web site - http://www.ci.monrovia.ca.us - information on these comprehensive efforts can be found.  Earlier this year, Monrovia Mayor Rob Hammond, Duarte Mayor Phil Reyes, and Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte Town Council President David Hall outlined the importance of confronting gang violence and citizen involvement with resources within our communities like Monrovia’s Youth Center, the Duarte Teen Center, the Boys and Girls Club and local YMCA’s that can help give our youth a place to go rather than stay on the streets.  There are also several active Neighborhood Watch efforts that are critical to confronting this problem.

At the state level, Governor Schwarzenegger has made combating gang violence a top priority.  Just last month, his office announced the awarding of $16.5 million in grants for combating gang violence and job training for at-risk youth.  More information on the grants and other efforts can be found on the Governor’s web site - http://gov.ca.gov/issue/anti-gangs/.

Gang violence affects all of us, and we must confront it and its root causes.  We need to stay vigilant in our neighborhoods, support the cops working every day to keep our streets safe and pay attention to the young people who need our guidance and focus.  Additionally, the federal government, the state government, and local entities need to continue to work together to share resources, information, and the desire to keep our streets safe.