COMMUNITY PULLS TOGETHER TO FEEL SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH STARTED FOR CANOGA PARK.

Byline: Ryan Oliver Staff Writer

Fearful of random violence in their communities, more Spanish-speaking residents are overcoming their mistrust of law enforcement and banding together to form Neighborhood Watch groups, LAPD officials say.

It took the drive-by shooting of an innocent man as he carried home dinner from a local restaurant to convince Guillermina Franco, 33, to join two dozen Canoga Park neighbors who meet monthly to discuss how they'll watch out for one another and cooperate with police.

``Even if we speak Spanish, we also have needs,'' Franco said. ``I have two daughters and I would like them to live in a safe neighborhood.''

Franco lives in a heavily Latino area near Hart Street and Alabama Avenue, where the yet-to-be-solved shooting of her 20-year-old neighbor occurred. She was interviewed through a translator last week and said safety has become a paramount concern ever since her apartment was burglarized four years ago.

``For a long time, I was so afraid to go out,'' she said. ``I would look at everyone as a suspect. And to this day, I'm still afraid to come home alone.

``I'm afraid I'll walk in and someone will be there.''

The Los Angeles Police Department has been pushing to form more Neighborhood Watch groups in foreign languages over the past decade. In the San Fernando Valley, the priority is Spanish.

``We know the importance of diversity and being able to communicate across the city,'' said Cmdr. Michel Moore. ``We need their support, and it's our obligation.''

But the reluctance of many Spanish-speaking immigrants to get involved with the police can make those efforts difficult. Some immigrants are in the United States illegally and fear that local police are looking to deport them. Others come from places where police were abusive and corrupt, and they assume the same is true here.

``The problem is some of the Hispanics are scared of authority,'' Officer Julian Almaraz said. ``Some don't want to meet because they feel they'll be retaliated against.''

Almaraz, who's bilingual, works with several Spanish-language Neighborhood Watch groups in Pacoima, which is predominantly Latino. He uses block captains - volunteers who help organize Neighborhood Watch - and other residents to promote the meetings but initially does not mention the group's affiliation with the LAPD.

``A lot of times a block captain is a Spanish speaker and the people trust them,'' he said. ``They can then get a rapport with me and they trust me.''

Almaraz said a Spanish-language group was formed recently at the San Fernando Gardens apartment complex and reports of crime in the neighborhood significantly declined.

``Gangsters are afraid to come around my neighborhood because everyone calls (the police) on them.'' Almaraz said. ``I've got people videotaping for me, that's why it's quiet. But it took a while to get quiet.''

Officer Terry Webb, a senior lead officer who pushed for the new Neighborhood Watch group in Canoga Park after January's shooting, said he's looking for a similar success in his area.

``What I want to do is have a relationship with these folks so they can tell me what's going on,'' he said. ``They often keep to themselves and often become victims and we don't know what happened.''

Webb said many Spanish-only speakers live in high-crime areas and sometimes they can provide the best information on gang members and other criminal elements in their community.

Pedro Sainz, 36, was also among those at Webb's first Spanish-language meeting, and he's eager to help with the Neighborhood Watch effort, he said through a translator.

``I'm not a gang member or anything, but I can tell who's involved with gangs,'' said Sainz, who has two young children. ``I want to do this because I want to help this community.''

To promote the Neighborhood Watch, police have turned to Margaret Pontius, executive director at the Gaudalupe Center of Canoga Park, where the meetings will be held monthly.

Pontius said she's relying on word of mouth to get the information out.

``Word of mouth is how trust is built in this community,'' she said. ``You can put up all the fliers you want, but it won't work unless people they know say the meeting is OK.''

Pontius said the shooting not far from the center made it easier to motivate people.

``We had some really scared kids and some really scared parents,'' she said. ``It seemed this was the right time to say, Look, there's something you can do to make your neighborhood safer. You don't have to be a passive victim.''

``And they agreed with me.''

Ryan Oliver, [phone]

ryan.oliver(at)dailynews.com

HOW TO HELP YOUR AREA

Those interested in joining or forming a Neighborhood Watch group should contact their community's senior lead officer or community relations officer at their local LAPD area division. Local division phone numbers: Devonshire, [phone]; Foothill, [phone]; North Hollywood, [phone]; Van Nuys, [phone]; and West Valley, [phone]. Other area divisions can be found on the LAPD Web site at www.LAPDonline.org or by calling LAPD headquarters at (877) ASK-LAPD.

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Photo:

Margaret Pontius, left, director of the Guadalupe Center in Canoga Park, watches over some of the local children: right, Jocelyne Esparza, 6; center, Noemi Franco, 10; and Maribel Franco, 11.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

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HOW TO HELP YOUR AREA (see text)