Governor Declares ‘Open Season’ on Gangs
Its nine square miles include some of the most crime-infested streets in Los Angeles. It is a place with 56 different gangs and 1,400 parolees. And it was the place that Gov. Pete Wilson used Thursday to launch a legislative assault on juvenile and gang crime.
The LAPD’s Newton Division and the area its officers police were thrust into the spotlight Thursday when the governor declared “open season on gangs and gang violence” and unveiled a series of ambitious bills aimed at stemming such crime.
The 20 proposed bills Wilson supports would, among other things, make all gang-related murders capital crimes, impose a statewide truancy statute for school-age children, increase prison time for gang members who intimidate victims and witnesses and who recruit new members.
Some officers welcomed the initiatives but were skeptical about the impact they would have.
“We’re losing the war,” one officer said under his breath during Wilson’s comments. “You can’t change social disorder just with laws.”
The governor said his package is an attempt to steer children away from a life of crime and reform the juvenile justice system. Several of the bills he supports would streamline Juvenile Court operations and better potential “at-risk” youths.
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