City Gets Mixed Reviews on Efforts to Curb Gang Violence

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

March 9 -- It's been nearly a year since State Senator Sheila Kuehl and more than a dozen government, civic and social service groups signed commitments to halt youth and gang violence in Santa Monica.

And March 18th, Senator Kuehl will host a town-hall style meeting to review what's been put into play and what's still on paper.

Since the last conference in April 2005 -- where a candle burned in memory of Hector Bonilla and Jonathan Hernandez (see story) -- two more Santa Monica youths have lost their lives to gang-violence, including 10th grader Eddie Lopez (see story), and several more could have just as easily met the same fate if the shooters had better aim.

Even a Santa Monica police officer was recently shot by a suspected gang member. (see story)

So what's been accomplished?

Some, including Kuehl, say that although modest action has been taken, the most positive achievement in the last year has been getting all the various groups on board and mindful of the gang violence.

"I think where we’ve made progress is in that the dialogues have started to focus the community's attention on this issue as a whole,” said Kuehl of the efforts up until now.

She especially praised programs started by the City, neighborhood groups and school officials, while saying that more work needs to be done by other institutions, such as local police and County Probation.

Other Santa Monica officials were more blunt in their assessment.

"Obviously there's a need for more action and less planning," said Oscar de la Torre, a school board member and the executive director of the Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC), which was instrumental in helping shape the community meetings last summer.

De La Torre said he is happy with some of the action that has been taken -- particularly by the school district -- but he and other officials acknowledge there is more each of the partners can do.

A review by The Lookout found that City, Chamber of Commerce, College and School officials plan to point to several initiatives -- some of which will be published in a City report Monday -- that have been started or accomplished in the past year, as well as many more challenges that still lie ahead.

A job fair last April hosted by the chamber and attended some 350 youths (67 percent from the Pico Neighborhood) placed an estimated 50 participants into jobs. It was an effort Chamber Executive Director Kathy Dodson said was the business group's "biggest and most important goal."

Meanwhile, the City launched a beefed-up graffiti removal effort and added two slots to the seven trade intern positions already offered through the City.

The City also audited its school-based mental health services and pushed aggressively to reopen Virginia Avenue Park, which could eventually become a hub of gang prevention programs and non-profit services, such as the Greater Los Angeles Big Brother and Big Sister's mentoring program.

One of the "action partners" -- as the groups assigned to programs are called – the school district, has accomplished several tasks. Partnering with The Pico Youth and Family Center, school officials opened a community day school now helping a dozen youths in trouble with the law to attend school.

School district and City officials also helped establish a program based on the National Valued Youth Program at John Adams Middle School (see story). As of last April, 30 middle school youth were active as youth mentors for elementary school children.

John Adam's Middle School -- where many students from poor families in the Pico Neighborhood receive their education -- is also where Santa Monica College focused much of its attention.

A $100,000 grant by the David Simon Trust was donated to train teachers at the middle school, bring middle school students to Santa Monica College (SMC) and gear them up for future college classes. After the conference, another $50,000 was invested in the program, according to Tom Donner, the former interim president of the college.

As a result of the conference, the program was permanently joined with John Adams Middle School as opposed to remaining open with a variety of schools.

The College also recommitted to a struggling program with the Pico Neighborhood Association to help students enroll in SMC who dropped out of high school or never attended college. The college splits the cost of the program with the City.

"I think the conference gave it a shot in the arm," Donner said of the effort. "Frankly, I think the conference saved it."

Exactly how many students have been helped through that program is unknown, although Donner said it has been a success.

In spite of the modest advances in some areas -- and as the killing continues -- there is much work left to do, said each of the officials interviewed by The Lookout.

In fact, some programs have yet to be instituted at all.

A partnership between the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce -- a lead action partner -- and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles to mentor 100 at-risk youths ran aground when one of the chamber’s businesses backed out of funding the program, according to a Big Brother official. (see story)

But the 100 at-risk youth program may not be the only area where the various groups who attended the gang conference fell short.

Police officials declined to provide information about their efforts to increase cooperation between their Department and the Pico Neighborhood, instead referring The Lookout to the City Manager’s office on the issue.

The City Manager’s spokesperson said that a report would be published Monday, and declined to comment on the issue.

Although in a review published last August police say they have continued their policy of providing “sensitivity training,” no other information on the department’s effort can be verified.

Another key initiative that came out of last year’s conference was an effort to better coordinate efforts with County Probation.

Although she was not specific, Senator Kuehl said better coordination, “intervention and prevention” efforts need to be addressed by law enforcement to make things work.

“I don’t think we’ve hit the goal with law enforcement yet,” Kuehl said. “That still needs work.”

All of these initiatives have taken on added significance, given the recent death of Eddie Lopez, she said.

“We’ve dealt with death before," Kuehl said, "but Eddie’s death reminds us how important it will be to continue to focus our attention on this serious issue.”

Kuehl will host the next Community Forum on Gang Violence on March 18 from 10 a.m. to noon at John Adams Middle School, 2425 16th Street.

The meeting will include updates on the commitments made by Action Partners, the next steps to be taken and opportunities for public input.

To RSVP or for more information, contact Hilda Garcia at (310) 441-9084 or e-mail hilda.garcia@sen.ca.gov