Community Enlisted in New War on Gangs

A sharp increase in gang-related crime over the past year has spurred police and community leaders in the San Fernando Valley to pursue a more coordinated effort to combat gangs.

Unlike past efforts largely driven by Los Angeles police commanders or summits that brought warring factions together, the new initiative would have police work more closely with people connected to children and teenagers, including those who work in schools and religious and community organizations, LAPD Deputy Chief Ronald Bergman said.

“There’s probably more gang members in the Valley than we’ve ever had, and gang violence is spiking again,” Bergman said. “What we’re trying to figure out is what works and spearhead a Valleywide effort to combat gang violence and gang membership.”

Police estimate 407 street gangs with about 55,385 members are operating in the city of Los Angeles. Some 20,000 members are in the Valley, they estimate.

Traditionally, the Los Angeles Police Department has used specialized units and court injunctions to combat gangs. More recently, the department has teamed with probation and corrections officers and prosecutors in an anti-gang program called CLEAR, or Community Law Enforcement and Recovery.

Praised for its success in cutting gang crime in the Valley’s Devonshire and Foothill divisions, CLEAR saw its budget slashed to $1 million this year from the original $3-million state grant in 1997. Simultaneously, there were fewer officers to combat all crime as LAPD staffing levels fell by 900 officers from the peak of about 9,800 in the late 1990s.

As staffing fell, gang violence, including murder, attempted murder, rape, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, jumped by 7.1% Valleywide in the last year. Those factors, coupled with the potential recruiting bonanza for gangs among the new generation of at-risk youngsters, demand a broad-based approach, Bergman and others said. Police and community groups have held two meetings since December that drew more than 300 people interested in coming up with ideas to fight gangs. More meetings are planned, Bergman said. Several concepts appear particularly promising, he said.

One would expand the LAPD’s relationship with the Los Angeles Unified School District to identify gang members or aspirants and steer the high-risk students to the Jeopardy Program, Police Activities League or other community-based groups.

Police commanders also are considering strengthening ties with local clergy, not only to set up more community-based programs but to communicate with congregants about anti-crime programs.

Within law enforcement, Bergman said he wants to expand the CLEAR concept among the LAPD’s five Valley divisions and beyond. City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, who heads the council’s Public Safety Committee, said it may be expanded to the Central Bureau, which includes the Central, Rampart, Hollenbeck, Northeast and Newton divisions.

“People who wanted to help just needed this network superstructure to say we’re out here,” Miscikowski said. “Obviously, we need more money and more resources, but this shows how we can pull together.”

Wes McBride, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department gang expert, said anti-gang programs often become ineffective because they are seldom sustained.

“As soon as the gang crime drops the politicians declare victory and walk away,” he said. “It’s like a cancer. You have to remain vigilant. If you’re not on top of it, it will come back and worse than before.”

McBride said he favors community involvement because gangs are part of the community. Without that input and support, he said, “You’re an [occupying] army.”