ANTI-GANG FUNDING QUESTIONED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY CRISIS WARRANTS FASTER ACTION.Byline: RICK ORLOV Orlov (Орлóв) is the name of a Russian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, diplomatists and soldiers. The family first gained distinction in the person of four Orlov brothers, of whom the senior was Catherine the Great's Staff Writer A lack of significant new funding to launch Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's anti-gang program drew complaints and concern Friday as the plan received its first official review. The plan, unveiled during the mayor's State of the City address, allocates $168 million for intervention A procedure used in a lawsuit by which the court allows a third person who was not originally a party to the suit to become a party, by joining with either the plaintiff or the defendant. and prevention programs, but just $16.8million of that is new funding. At a meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee ad hoc committee A committee formed with the purpose of addressing a specific issue or issues, which theoretically is disbanded once its raison d'etre is finished on Gangs and Youth, City Council members and others said the gang crisis warrants faster action. "I think we know what a lot of the problems are and where they exist," said Councilwoman Janice Hahn Janice Hahn is a member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 15th district. Hahn was elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005, running unopposed. The 15th District encompasses the Los Angeles communities of Watts, Wilmington, Harbor Gateway, Harbor City, Athens on the , who represents the Harbor Gateway area. "We shouldn't be wasting time." Harbor Gateway was not among the eight gang-reduction zones outlined in the mayor's plan. Harbor Gateway has become a symbol for much of Los Angeles' gang problem. On Dec.5, immigrant Arturo Ponce, 34, was shot and killed in the neighborhood, and 10 days later, 14-year-old Cheryl Green was shot when she was believed to have crossed a gang line. Deputy Mayor Arif Alikhan said the mayor's initial program is merely the first step in a long-term Long-term Three or more years. In the context of accounting, more than 1 year. long-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss in the value of a security that has been held over a specific length of time. Compare short-term. prevention and intervention campaign. "We are starting in areas where we have existing programs to maximize and leverage the money that is there," Alikhan said. "As we get more funds, we will be able to expand to other areas." Alikhan said the mayor plans to appoint an interim director to conduct initial assessments in four prime areas -- Foothill, Northeast, Newton and Southeast -- and the eight identified gang-reduction zones. Former state Sen. Tom Hayden Thomas Emmett "Tom" Hayden (born December 11, 1939) is an American social and political activist and politician, most famous for his involvement in the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s. urged the city to work on a variety of levels to combat the problem. "You have to sit down with the governor and deal with this," Hayden said. "Prisons are the incubation incubation /in·cu·ba·tion/ (in?ku-ba´shun) 1. the provision of proper conditions for growth and development, as for bacterial or tissue cultures. 2. of where violence occurs. And I urge you not to forget juvenile halls. Any kid that can be saved early is to the good." rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion