Fighting Gangs in Los Angeles

I am afraid that your editorial “Crackdown on Gangs” (April 7) completely missed my point regarding use of the National Guard to combat the gang problem in Los Angeles County.

The fact is, I have never asked for a full mobilization of National Guard troops as your editorial implies. I fully realize that this would be an inappropriate use of military force.

What I have proposed is the sending of military police units from the National Guard to act in a support capacity for our local law enforcement officers. Most MPs in the National Guard are trained officers from Northern California police departments, sheriff’s departments and the California Highway Patrol. They could ride in the back seats of LAPD and sheriff’s squad cars so that whenever there is a gang-related disturbance, the first car on the scene would be able to respond immediately with four uniformed officers, rather than just two. This could be an important show of force that could help turn the tide in fighting gang violence.

If we had a medical emergency in Los Angeles it would make sense to call down a medical battalion from the National Guard. So, too, it makes sense to take advantage of the military police force of the National Guard to deal with our current law enforcement emergency.

I fully agree with The Times’ call for more full-time police officers. However, it would take a good year to recruit and train new officers. The gang crisis is now. The military police force of the National Guard offers one way for us to deal with this terrifying problem in our community immediately.

KENNETH HAHN

Supervisor, Second District

Los Angeles County