The depth of the gang problem
Re “Police charge man, 19, in killing,” March 12
I think it is time to be honest about how to really prevent what happened to Jamiel Shaw Jr. and thousands like him across the United States, whether they’re affiliated with a gang or not.
It is not about more police; it is not about more of a militarization of the Los Angeles Police Department; it is not about treating gang members like “terrorists.”
It is about looking at the chaos of South Los Angeles and all of our other inner-city areas plagued by poverty, racial segregation, racial exclusion, community disinvestment, failed institutions and more.
We can discuss how terrible gangs and those who join them are, but until we stop merely looking at the symptoms of poverty and racial isolation, the disease will never truly be treated.
And how dare elected officials and the LAPD try to tell us that all we need is more people in uniform.
Jared Sanchez
Los Angeles
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.
