Census Official Lauds Effort to Boost Count’s Accuracy

A U.S. Census official cheered black activists Wednesday for their efforts to boost participation in the nation’s upcoming population count, but refused a demand that he hire count volunteers with criminal records.

John Reeder, the Census Bureau’s Los Angeles regional director, told the newly formed African American Civil Rights Complete Count Committee he appreciates its efforts to enlist volunteers from neighborhoods that have suffered low or inaccurate counts in past years--minority neighborhoods in particular.

But Reeder said he would not alter a bureau regulation that prohibits certain felons from helping to count residents.

“In cases where a person has committed crimes against a person, spousal abuse or child molestation, we will not employ them,” Reeder said. “We can’t tell people that we’re sending out spousal abusers or child molesters to knock on their doors.” A Gardena gang conflict mediator, Perry Crouch, asked Reeder to allow waivers for census takers with criminal histories.

“We’ve got a lot of kids who can get the numbers, but they’re being told they’re unsuitable,” Crouch said, adding that such youths are ideal counters because they know the neighborhood and are often respected. “Around L.A., with all these gangs, you can’t just send anybody into a neighborhood and get an accurate count.”

In addition to recruiting and training census takers, organizers of the complete count committee said they plan to use contacts in churches, schools and clubs to plug the virtues of participating in the census.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said that inaccurate census counts shortchange minorities in government financial assistance and congressional representation.

The new group is backed by Waters and is among several ethnic interest groups that are launching accurate count campaigns. They include the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.