Local News in Brief : Gang Death Decline Noted
More than 200 law enforcement officials, religious leaders, former gang members and area residents gathered in an East Los Angeles church cafeteria Wednesday to celebrate the community’s drop in gang violence and warn of a growing drug problem.
Pointing to statistics showing that gang-related homicides dropped from a high of 24 in 1978 to a low of two last year, police and gang workers said their efforts could be duplicated in South-Central Los Angeles, where a record 118 people were killed in gang-related incidents last year.
“While people are moaning and groaning in other parts of the city, we’re happy to report that in East L.A., we’re showing the right way,” said Miguel Duran, a Los Angeles County probation officer.
Officials said parents in the area were determined to keep their children out of the 37 street gangs active in the 3.5 square miles of East Los Angeles.
Some officials noted, however, that while gang killings have declined, there were more than 3,500 drug-related arrests last year, up from slightly over 1,000 in 1981.
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