Helping Gang Members Change Course : San Fernando Program Pays Off by Giving Youths a Chance to Chart a New Future

There are at least 34 street gangs with a total of 5,000 members within the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division. One such gang has terrorized the San Fernando Gardens housing project for years, and police say that it has been responsible for robberies, drug dealing and even murder.

Is it possible that at least a small percentage of these youths can be reclaimed and taught to believe in a future that does not involve violent street gangs? The answer is yes, and the San Fernando Gardens group is a case in point.

Nearly two years ago, Rose Casteneda, chief deputy to Rep. Howard L. Berman, contacted gang members and offered them an alternative of sorts. The result has been ongoing Wednesday night meetings with community leaders, which have helped as many as 10% of the gang’s roughly 350 members find jobs and return to school. About 38 former gang members, for example, have now enrolled in college or have returned to school, Casteneda says.

The group, which now refers to itself as the Wednesday Night Regulars, has also engaged in a number of community projects such as the painting of a local elementary school, fund-raising activities and cleanup efforts at Whiteman Airport and Hansen Dam. The group has also been involved in paying visits to disabled veterans and delivering supplies to homeless shelters.

The original gang involved here is as notorious as ever, but LAPD Senior Lead Officer Stephanie Payne says that Casteneda’s efforts have paid off. “I can safely say that those who do come to the Wednesday night meetings are not the ones causing the problem,” Payne says.

Casteneda deserves support for her continuing efforts. Perhaps, with great care and the support of the LAPD, it can be duplicated with street gangs in other parts of the Valley.