Fight gangs with more than police
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is “Taking on the killers in Compton” (Opinion, Jan. 9) by deploying more resources to stem the tide of gang violence. I am not a law enforcement expert, and I wish him well for the sake of all citizens in Compton and beyond. However, his manifesto, which promises to forge the “essential” partnership between law enforcement and community, makes no mention of what alternatives are going to be available to young men and women instead of joining gangs.
Perhaps, while the sheriff is sending more troops into the streets, he could also use some of his political influence and allies to help create more educational and recreational opportunities in the beleaguered city. For example, Compton Community College is in a desperate fight to maintain its autonomy and its state funding and accreditation. If that institution closes, many more young men and women in Compton will have no practical road to higher education and a way out of the street life. Without concurrent promotion of positive city culture, Baca’s “lockdown” will be nothing but a short-term fix, if that.
BRUCE GAIMS
Reseda
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
