‘Gallery of the Dead’ Glorified Street Thugs

This letter is in response to your Dec. 31 “Gallery of the Dead” article.

How dare you glorify street thugs by publishing their pictures in the paper, making them martyrs. It’s nothing short of a slap in the face to family members and friends of the victims of these thugs’ criminal acts. You’ve lost the pulse of the community by assuming law-abiding citizens will shed a tear about the loss of lives of those who take justice into their own hands. Street justice needs to be carried out by law enforcement, not street vermin.

Law-abiding citizens have lost patience with the deterioration of their neighborhoods. People are angry and willing to become involved in solving this problem.

As community activists representing about 2,000 homeowners in west Van Nuys, we work with city officials to improve our communities’ quality of life, both physically and psychologically. We are gravely concerned about crime and its effects. Rather than hide behind locked doors, we observe, warn and report criminal acts and keep our areas graffiti-free. As homeowners, we abhor street crime and celebrate arrests and incarcerations of convicted criminals.

As a side effect of crime, long-standing merchants in our area are leaving. They cite property owners’ lack of concern for their tenants’ safety. Residents stop going into unsafe areas, resulting in a loss of business and causing businesses to shut down. Property owners should be ashamed of themselves--they are responsible for this pattern.

And The Times shoulders some responsibility. Glorifying antisocial behavior is irresponsible.

BARBARA LINK

Link is president of the Van-Sherm Homeowners Assn.

ELLEN BAGELMAN

Bagelman is president of the Lake Balboa Homeowners Assn.