AUTHORITIES WAGE UPHILL BATTLE AGAINST YOUTH VIOLENCE.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

Los Angeles County is the state's second-most violent region for youths in the state, with nearly half of teens surveyed saying they could easily get a gun, according to a study released Tuesday.

The study said 51 of every 100,000 youths ages 10-17 were hospitalized in the county in 1999-2000 after being assaulted - second only to San Francisco County, where 69 of every 100,000 were hospitalized.

Researchers gave Los Angeles County a C grade in its safe community category, and a B- in availability of after-school programs. The study, called the California Youth Violence Prevention Scorecard, was conducted by Choices for Youth and The California Wellness Foundation.

``This is an epidemic,'' said Laurie Kappe, director of Choices For Youth. ``It's a tragedy and it's not very safe in Los Angeles County.''

Compared with the state's 57 other counties, Los Angeles County ranked average in three safety indicators: About 161 of every 100,000 youths are incarcerated; 35 percent of the county's high school students graduate within UC/CSU requirements; and 40 out of every 100,000 youths suffer from selnflicted injuries.

Los Angeles authorities say that youth violence is a problem they work hard to combat. Between January and September this year, 44 percent of the 499 homicide victims citywide were between the ages of 15 and 24, police said.

LAPD Deputy Chief Ronald Bergmann said he has pushed his divisions to enforce curfew and truancy laws to prevent youths from getting hurt or into trouble.

``By doing aggressive curfew and truancy enforcement, you're taking young victims off the street and taking a possible suspect off the street,'' he said.

Authorities grapple with the ease with which kids can get guns, with 43 percent saying they could get one, and struggle to come up with solutions to getting them off the streets.

``The general consensus is that it's as easy to get a gun as it is to get marijuana,'' said Deputy City Attorney Tony Koutris, who works the gang unit. ``The problem is overwhelming because we don't actually know how many kids have them. It is next to impossible to combat it until they commit a crime.''

The study was based on statewide data from law enforcement, the courts, the California Department of Corrections, school districts and legislators. Additionally, researchers surveyed 560 youths, ages 12-17, in L.A. County regarding the availability of firearms.

The $2 million report was created to inform policy-makers, opinion leaders and the public about the need to increase the state's investment in violence prevention programs at a time when legislators consider the possibility of slashing programs to erase a $20 billion state deficit.

Researchers graded the 15 largest counties in the state, which comprise 83 percent of the state's youth population.

Among the key findings:

--Youths ages 10-17 are nearly three times more likely than adults to be victims of serious violent crime.

--More than 300 youths each year are lost to assault and suicide, making violence the No. 1 killer of kids.

--Nearly 6,000 young people are hospitalized annually statewide as a result of a violent injury, including assault, abuse, domestic violence and rape.