Echo Park : Civic Group Recognized
The Echo Park Improvement Assn. is a recipient of the Community Service Award by the Criminal Justice Panel of the Los Angeles city attorney’s office.
The association was nominated for the award by Capt. Robert Riley and Officer Joe Writer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Northeast Division.
About six to 10 civic groups, individuals, or community associations are selected each year for the award, said Mike Qualls, spokesman for the city attorney’s office. They are recognized for helping police fight crime by removing graffiti, sponsoring crime watch programs or working with gang members to steer them away from trouble, Qualls said.
The association hires a security patrol, using $10 monthly contributions from about 500 Echo Park residents, to drive around the neighborhood seven nights a week. The association also encourages crime victims to press charges and teaches them how to avoid being victimized again, said William Nettles, a member of the group.
The association has stepped up its activities the past three years, he said.
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