Urban Gang Problems

Joan Moore’s article (Op-Ed Page, Dec. 9) on local gangs alludes to the fact that there is a paucity of programs for inner-city youth today. Those of us who have grown up in the area and worked with gangs over the decades know that programs aimed toward urban minority youth do help.

In my own experience, it was the Catholic Youth Organization, among others, that attempted to redirect my youthful energies into sports and social activities. The Los Angeles Police Department back then sponsored the Deputy Auxiliary Police that took me on my first visit to Knott’s Berry Farm.

Later, I was a youth counselor for the Teen Post Program directly working with gang members during the War on Poverty; it is interesting to note that over 100 of these Teen Posts existed in Los Angeles and that gang violence then was considerably less than today.

The following words of one probation officer give some indication of the contemporary response to the urban gang problem: “There is more of the stick than the carrot in dealing with gangs.” We need to balance our approach to minority youth problems by providing more opportunities and incentives to help such youths escape the effects of “underclass” life.

DIEGO VIGIL

Whittier