LOS ANGELES : Council Allocates $800,000 to Help Stem Civil Unrest
The City Council allocated $800,000 Friday for Mayor Tom Bradley’s community damage-control efforts to stem civil unrest.
The Neighbor to Neighbor program has hired community activists to fan out across the city and maintain peace during the trial of four officers accused of beating motorist Rodney G. King and three men accused of assaulting trucker Reginald O. Denny.
Acknowledging that they were caught off-guard by the not guilty verdicts in the earlier trial of the King beating case, organizers intend to engage community members in discussions of the court proceedings and provide alternatives to another round of riots. Established community groups across the city--from Parents of Watts to the Korean Youth Center--will receive Community Development Block Grant funds to help defuse tensions.
“I think there is a certain level of tension and anxiety,” said Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, “and this is an effort to assuage that.”
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