Youth Services, Parks Top Wish List in Riot Areas : Rebuild L.A.: Survey of 1,159 in four neighborhoods shows strong desire for basic government assistance.

Residents of the four areas most affected by civil unrest in Los Angeles last year see youth services and parks as the most pressing needs in their neighborhoods, while the availability of other services, such as banks, rank much lower on their list, a survey by the public opinion firm Yankelovich Partners Inc. found.

The survey, done for Rebuild L.A., asked 1,159 residents of the South-Central, Koreatown, Pico-Union and East Los Angeles areas what they see as the most egregious problems that groups such as Rebuild L.A. should emphasize to help address underlying issues fueling last year’s violence. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.

“This gives a strong blueprint of where residents of these areas think attention should be directed,” said Harold E. Quinley, director of the polling firm’s Newport Beach offices.

“What people really want are basic government services” rather than the consumer services, such as supermarkets and banks, that some rallied for after the riots, Quinley said.

Asked to rank 12 services and facilities that residents see as most critically needed, 83% said they wanted more youth services, while financial institutions ranked 11th on the list.

As Los Angeles emergency rooms overflow with patients, almost half the residents surveyed said they see a critical need for 24-hour urgent healthcare clinics. With Los Angeles housing growing increasingly overcrowded, 39% said there is a critical need for more playgrounds.

When asked to rank critical needs in public services, public health clinics, ambulance services, and libraries ranked highest, above a desire for more street lighting or garbage collection. Residents varied somewhat in their emphasis: those in South-Central and East Los Angeles placed public health clinics highest on their lists, whereas residents of Koreatown and Pico-Union ranked libraries first.

Meanwhile, few residents--less than one in five--cited as critical more nearby large department stores and shopping malls. Only a quarter of those polled said they believe greater access to the area’s public transportation is critical. And only 5% in the four areas said they see a dire need for more liquor stores.

While residents surveyed clearly asked more of government, half said it is critical to get more services that help them help themselves, such as after-school work, training and apprenticeship programs.

A bright spot: A majority of residents in the four areas believe that stores in their neighborhoods charge the same or lower prices than stores in most other parts of Los Angeles, and that store owners generally make an effort to hire people from their neighborhoods.

But the survey also showed the extent to which, one year after the riots, residents continue to live in fear and harbor a deep sense of disgruntlement at institutions and groups meant to help them. Nearly four of five in the surveyed areas said they feel unsafe venturing from their homes after dusk. In South-Central and Koreatown, the fear is most palpable: 83% said they feel unsafe leaving home at night. More than two of five said they feel unfairly treated by insurance companies, the government, court system or the police.

Asked which groups have treated them “very unfairly,” the police came in at the top; 22% reported such treatment from law enforcement. However, an almost equal percentage reported very unfair treatment from insurance companies, the government, the courts, banks and other financial institutions. Koreatown residents ranked police as the institution most likely to treat them very unfairly, while South-Central residents pointed most often to insurance companies.

Many residents, the survey found, said their neighborhoods continue to be neglected, particularly by business and government. Of the three main players in revitalization efforts--government, business or neighborhood groups--39% said neighborhood groups have provided the most leadership in revitalizing efforts since last year’s unrest. Business groups--the constituency Rebuild L.A. has prodded hardest--got the worst marks, with only 17% of those surveyed believing that businesses have provided the most leadership.

Neighborhood Concerns

One year later, residents in the four areas most affected by the riots feel that youth and recreational services are the most sorely needed. They complain most loudly about their treatment by police and insurance companies.

*Percentage describing the following categories as “absolutely critical” or

“important” needs:

SERVICE ALL RESPONDENTS 1.Youth services 83% 2.Parks, recreation facilities, 77% adult sports programs 3.Public services and facilities 75% 4.Doctors, health care 68% 5.Transportation 63% 6.Neighborhood stores 58% 7.Supermarkets and grocery stores 54% 8. Department stores, large malls 51% 9. Business, professional (financial 49% advisors, travel agents, etc.) 10.Repair services 46% (auto, computer, television) 11.Financial institutions 44% 12. Restaurants 36%

SOUTH PICO- TOTAL CENTRAL EAST L.A. KOREATOWN UNION *Police 22% 34% 14% 26% 12% *Insurance companies 20% 36% 17% 18% 9% *Government 18% 25% 11% 24% 12% *Courts 16% 28% 8% 16% 9% *Financial institutions 12% 28% 7% 8% 5% *Local merchants 8% 17% 5% 6% 3%

*Percentage responding “very unfairly” when asked, “How fairly have residents in your community have been treated by...”

Source: Poll by Yankelovich Partners Inc. for Rebuild L.A. of 1,159 adults from March 17-29. Margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.