Gang Program Failure
* “Santa Monica Stung by Gang Program Failure” (April 23) neglected to mention a critical reason for the failure of the Pico Neighborhood anti-gang effort: The Santa Monica City Council ignored the recommendations by its panel of over 30 community leaders, volunteers and city representatives, developed over a three-month period in the wake of the 1998 shootings.
The council (which has never included an elected Pico resident as a member) felt that it, not the community, knew what was best for a neighborhood long troubled by racial and economic woes.
The failure of this ill-conceived gang program is yet another example of why many cities (Los Angeles included) are increasingly turning to neighborhood-based leadership as a means to more effective government.
DON GRAY
Board of Directors
Pico Neighborhood Assn.
Santa Monica
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