Deputies Give Parents a Wake-Up Call

Rousing shocked mothers and fathers from their sleep, a multi-agency task force Thursday began cracking down on those who aren’t keeping their kids out of gang life, threatening to arrest the parents unless they begin taking more responsibility.

The pilot program was launched when six teams of sheriff’s deputies, probation officers and other county staff members descended on 19 homes in the San Gabriel Valley community of East Valinda about 6 a.m.

Surrounded by law enforcement authorities in their living rooms, parents were told that their children are considered hard-core gang members, informed of parenting resources in the community and warned, in effect: Use these services and make sure your children go to school, or you may face criminal charges--even jail.

“We do whatever we can to provide resources for parents to get help,” said Capt. Linda Healy, who runs the Industry sheriff’s station, which is testing the program. “But there comes a point when their parental behavior reaches a level where they have to be told, ‘No more. You can’t slide through life with children and not take responsibility for their actions.’ ”

The new program appears to be the most aggressive attempt to date to prevent juvenile crime by directly pressuring parents to control their offspring. It is based on a 90-year-old California law requiring reasonable care and supervision of children.

Some parents were frightened by the early-morning show of law enforcement at their doorstep in East Valinda, which authorities say has 14 gangs with a total of 1,000 members. Armed deputies surrounded each house before entering, and drug-sniffing dogs were led through the area.

“Why are they attacking me?” asked a shaken Gloria Esquivel, who sat on a couch as deputies milled around the house. Her 18-year-old son had left town and violated his probation, deputies said.

“I appreciate them wanting to help, but not like this,” she said. “I feel like a prisoner.” She said her son was always obedient when he was at home, and she insisted that she could not be responsible for what he did when he left.

Law enforcement authorities said the operation was necessary to get through to people who have not responded to other efforts. Not only do all the homes visited Thursday have young hard-core gang members on probation, but they also include younger children in danger of being lured by gang life. Authorities warned that the younger siblings could be sucked into the violence unless parents pay more attention.

Although some of the youths on probation are no longer juveniles, officials said they would hold parents accountable for the actions of the younger children.

*

A team of agencies coordinated by county Supervisor Gloria Molina’s office began planning the parent accountability program in February to address the problem of the rising tide of young gang members.

Many sheriff’s deputies said they routinely encounter parents who are not aware of their children’s gang involvement or who have lost control of them and don’t know how to get it back.

If the program is successful, it will be tested in other parts of Molina’s district, which includes East Los Angeles and parts of the San Gabriel Valley.

“The main goal is to help parents take responsibility,” said Angela Castro, field deputy for Molina. “This will remind them that there are places they can turn for help.”

Many parents professed surprise that their children were considered hardened gang members.

“Oh, not my son!” exclaimed Maria Martinez. Her 19-year-old son Joe, on probation for weapon and drug possession, sat slumped on the couch, his face buried in his hands. “It’s his friends that are the cholos, not him,” she said.

Deputies carefully explained why they came, offering suggestions about where to go for counseling and other services.

“We’re not here to cause problems,” Deputy Al Pelaez told Maria Martinez gently in Spanish. “We’re here to help you and your son so he doesn’t stay in gangs. Many parents don’t understand the problems of gangs, and we want to help you understand that.”

The mother nodded, wide-eyed. She and the other parents were presented with a letter from Molina explaining the program and their responsibilities to provide “care, control and supervision” under the law. Deputies asked the parents to sign the letter to indicate they understand that the agencies will be monitoring their efforts.

All the parents were referred to Project Info, a nonprofit group that provides counseling and parenting skills classes. The organization will track each family, reporting on their progress to sheriff’s deputies, who will monitor school attendance and probation records.

Mothers and fathers who don’t attend the parenting classes and keep their children in school will have a hearing at the district attorney’s office. If that fails, criminal charges may be filed against them.

The key tool in the project is the use of a state law requiring appropriate supervision of children, a statute increasingly employed in recent years in truancy and other delinquency cases. People found guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor face up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Holding parents responsible for their children’s behavior has been a controversial notion as it has gained steam in recent years.

In May 1996, a Detroit couple were convicted of a misdemeanor for failing to prevent their 16-year-old from committing several robberies. The case sparked criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups that said the law unfairly punished parents for their children’s actions.

David Steinhart, director of the Commonweal Juvenile Justice Program, a Northern California public policy effort, warned that prosecuting parents for their children’s actions poses problems.

“Going after parents is an almost hopeless task, because parents don’t always have control over these kids and the forces contributing to this behavior,” he said. “And so who are you finally getting? Poor parents.” Added Mary Broderik, executive director of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, a state association of criminal defense lawyers: “I would bet that parents of truants in Beverly Hills are not going to be charged with shirking their parental responsibilities.”

Thomas Higgins, who heads the district attorney’s San Gabriel Valley juvenile division, said filing criminal charges against parents would be a last resort of the program.

“We’re not here to see how many arrests of parents we can make. This is not, ‘We don’t like what your kid is doing, so we’re going to nail you.’ This is about prevention and making parents accountable at a point where it makes a difference,” he said.

Officials said their biggest hope is to reach parents in time to keep the younger siblings of gang members out of trouble.

“Some parents I see have no motivation to correct the behavior of their kids,” said Judge Robert Martinez, who hears delinquency cases at Pomona Superior Court. “If the kid is locked up, it just means more food on the table. These parents have to be threatened with prosecution, because it’s the only way they will be concerned.”

Some parents acknowledged they were glad for the help.

“They frightened me when they showed up,” said Maria Martinez. “But I’m glad they’re here. If it helps him, I’ll do whatever I have to do.”

Her son Joe insisted that the program would not affect gang involvement.

“It doesn’t matter,” he mumbled, keeping his head down while deputies talked to his mother. “There’s nothing she could have done.” But his friend Hector Tena, sitting next to him, disagreed. A longtime gang member, Tena had spent the night at the Martinez house and was awakened by the sweep.

“I wish they had this when I was younger,” said Tena, 21. “My mom never had a clue I got jumped into a neighborhood [initiated into a gang] until it was too late.

“Too many of my close friends were hurt,” he said quietly. “One of my best friends died in my arms. That’s when I started to open my eyes. It ain’t nothing more but people killing each other.”