A Bridge Successfully Crossed

Four years ago, Javier Perez enrolled in L.A. Bridges, a program designed to steer young people away from gangs and drugs. For Perez, and hundreds of other teenagers, so far it’s working.

“I have this emotion, I can’t even explain it,” said Perez, 16, at a celebration for the program Monday. “All my friends are here. We’re actually going to graduate. I never thought I would make it through.”

Created by the Los Angeles City Council, the program is a partnership among schools, community organizations, law enforcement agencies, students and parents that targets 10- to 14-year-olds. More than 5,400 students at 27 Los Angeles Unified School District middle schools have enrolled in the program.

Monday marked the first graduation celebration for the program. Nearly 1,000 people gathered at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles to honor students who have completed middle school without succumbing to gangs, crime, violence or drugs.

The ceremony spotlighted the talent of some L.A. Bridges students, who recited poetry, danced to Latin music and performed a routine reminiscent of the musical “Stomp!” using five-gallon buckets as drums in a performance that left the crowd cheering.

In November 1996, after years of pouring millions of dollars into other anti-gang programs, the City Council approved L.A. Bridges--but not without opposition. Mayor Richard Riordan initially doubted its potential, said Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, the architect of the program, which costs $11.2 million annually.

“This [graduation] points to the folly of the opposition,” he said. “The council said to the mayor, ‘You are clearly wrong on this issue. This is a program that deserves to be supported because it’s making a difference in thousands of people’s lives.’ ”

Since its inception, the program has seen its students’ SAT scores rise. It also has seen a 72% decrease in arrests, a 66% decrease in probation cases and a 70% decrease in gang involvement among youths enrolled in L.A. Bridges.

“It’s holistic. It focuses on the child, the family and the community,” said Anna Ortega, director of L.A. Bridges. The program, she said, shows students “the possibility to succeed in life.”

More than once, Cesar Godoy, 16, of Mt. Vernon Middle School was tempted to use drugs. But friends and counselors in the L.A. Bridges program dissuaded him.

And when Yohance Salmon, 14, of Bret Harte Middle School was threatened to force him to join a gang, L.A. Bridges volunteers helped him resist.

“That’s when I started going to Bridges after school,” he said. “I didn’t need to be out on the streets.”

Part of the program’s success is its emphasis on after-school and extracurricular activities, students said. The activities vary--book clubs, basketball games, dances, computer classes, dances and field trips to places like Six Flags Magic Mountain and the Museum of Tolerance.

“They keep us busy,” said Perez, of Mt. Vernon Middle School. “They keep us away from doing drugs or joining gangs.”

Aside from providing on-site school services, the program tries to keep problems from developing, by such means as working out gang peace treaties.

It also works to clean up neighborhoods, and holds picnics, health fairs and employment fairs.

“They teach us and they talk about our future,” said Andres Ruiz, 14, of Berendo Middle School. “They just want us to be safe.”