W. Covina Calls Meeting Over Gang Problem

Last summer, about 20 gang members wielding bats and crowbars surrounded Dorothy Andrews’ house, screaming for her son.

They wanted him to join their gang.

“My son is a borderline gang member,” Andrews, a single mother of two, told a crowd of about 160 at a special town meeting this week. “Tell me, what am I supposed to do? . . . The next time one of them comes to my house, I’m going to take a bat and hit them in the head.”

City officials called the meeting to discuss the community’s soaring gang problem. No action was taken, but a second meeting is planned next month.

A police report released in February showed gang crime shot up 74% in West Covina last year as compared to 1989. Police have identified 11 gangs with a total of more than 2,100 members, mostly on the city’s south side, where the town meeting was held. Most gang members’ ages range from 13 to 18, police said.

Last year in West Covina, there were 228 gang-related crimes, up from 131 in 1989, police said. The crimes included murder, assault, robbery, rape, burglary and theft. Incidents of vandalism and graffiti also increased.

At the meeting Monday, the cafeteria at Rincon Intermediate School on Hollingworth Street was packed with concerned parents and residents. Most of those who spoke complained that there aren’t enough extracurricular programs for youths.

“The kids need something to do,” Andrews said. “I built a skateboard ramp at my house and the city made me take it down. They can’t ride their skateboards; they get harassed. My son has a band, but he can’t practice because the police come (because of noise). There’s no place to go, nothing to do.”

Brenda Lee Ozuna, another single mother of two teen-agers, repeatedly challenged city officials to provide money for additional school activities.

“I’ve lived in West Covina for 29 years, born and raised here, and I’ve never seen a mess like this,” Ozuna said. “We need more activities at schools. We need more role models. We need a center in West Covina to bring the children from the streets.”

She suggested that businesses send role models to talk with students during school and provide jobs for them after school. She pleaded with the crowd to ask businesses for money, time and space for horseback riding, tennis, swimming and other after-school activities.

Since November, the Rowland Unified School District has been involved in Operation Safe Community, a grass-roots organization that combats gang crime through community watch groups and education of parents and students. One of the founders, Schools Supt. Sharon S. Robinson, said the group could help the city eradicate gang crime and graffiti.

West Covina Police Cmdr. John Distelrath said the next step is to establish a communitywide task force consisting of residents, churches, school districts and city officials.

Mayor William Tarozzi said he would support allocating funds from the city’s reserve account for after-school youth programs. He said that the city will schedule another meeting sometime in April to get support from other school districts.