GONZALES, MAYOR TOUR HOMEBOY WORK SITE.Byline: RACHEL URANGA Staff Writer Drawing inspiration from a high-profile anti-gang program, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales For the New York Yankees infielder, see . Alberto Gonzales (born August 4 1955) is an American jurist who served as the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. on Monday touted the education and job training provided by Homeboy Industries Homeboy Industries is a youth program founded in 1988 by Father Greg Boyle, S.J. following the work of the Christian base communities at Dolores Mission Church. The program is intended to assist at-risk and gang members in a variety of services, such as counseling, tutoring, and , but he stopped short of committing more federal money toward efforts to curb violence in L.A. Gonzales and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. took a half-hour tour of the Boyle Heights clothing factory where some 100 former gang members are employed and discussed how the federal government might help the city in its latest campaign against gangs. "Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. is in a unique situation, and we are going to look hard to see what resources are available," Gonzales said. "These are individuals who ran through a spell of bad luck, they had some trouble, but they are trying to turn their lives around, and it really is inspiring to see that." Founded by the Rev. Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest, Homeboy Industries provides jobs, training, counseling and tattoo tattoo, the marking of the skin with punctures into which pigment is rubbed. The word originates from the Tahitian tattau [to mark]. The term is sometimes extended to scarification, which consists of skin incisions into which irritants may be rubbed to produce removal to current and former gang members. With a slogan "jobs not jails," it has been held up as a model program in a city where there are nearly 40,000 gang members. Last year, gang violence soared 14 percent citywide and 44 percent in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . Part of its funding comes from a $2.5 million grant from the Justice Department that is set to expire this year. Villaraigosa is expected to announce soon his gang intervention and prevention strategy. rachel.uranga@dailynews.com (818) 713-3741 |
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