Anti-Gang Crusader Gives Tips to Parents

Speaking in both English and Spanish, Brother Modesto Leon, a well-known anti-gang crusader from East Los Angeles, told about 100 parents gathered at a church here Wednesday that they are “planting the seed” for actions to reduce gang violence in their neighborhoods.

“There are many mothers and fathers out there who want to do something, but they have a guilt trip because their sons or daughters are in trouble, and they are ashamed and don’t know who to turn to,” Leon said.

Leon, the founder of an organization called Concerned Parents United, was invited to St. Anne’s Catholic Church to talk with parents and others in the community on how they can band together with officials and other citizens in the county to keep their children away from gang violence.

There have been a record 17 gang-related deaths in Orange County so far this year.

Father Jaime Soto, the Latino vicar of the Diocese of Orange County who helped organize the meeting, said it was a first step in getting parents to move toward reducing the gang violence in their neighborhoods.

The audience, seated in the church’s auditorium, included parents from four Orange County parishes, teen-agers, priests, nuns and representatives from the county Probation Department, county schools and the Santa Ana Police Department.

Leon told the gathering that in Los Angeles County there were more than 500 gang homicides last year, and that there are an estimated 80,000 gang members.

“I say those numbers to put some fear in you,” Leon said. “If you don’t work with all these (anti-gang) groups now, you could also be facing that many.”

Through Leon’s efforts to help parents organize in East Los Angeles, gang homicides in some neighborhoods have decreased dramatically.

“What you’re doing here tonight is very, very important,” he said. “You are planting the seeds. The story I bring tonight is that it works if we work together, and without this, not much can be done.”