GROUPS CALL FOR GANG TRUCE.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

For the fifth year in a row - and two days after a Los Angeles police officer was killed - former gang members, community leaders, ministers and officials called Tuesday for a cease-fire during the holidays.

The attempt is being organized by Unity One, a group of ex-gangsters from the Crips and Bloods street gangs, and the Central Recovery and Development Project.

Ed Turley of the CRDP said the organizations will be working through churches, community groups and on the streets to try to encourage the gangs to abide by the peace.

``We are working through word of mouth, through the media, through any way we can to get the word out that we have to stop the violence,'' Turley said.

The nearly 30 people participating in the news conference were all African-Americans, but Turley said they had been working with other organizations to encourage the same peace among Latino gangs.

``We invited everyone,'' Turley said. ``Some chose not to come. We have been working with Hope In Youth to encourage them to do the same as us.''

Glen Brown of the Black American Political Association of California said the cease-fire should be viewed as a first step to trying to end the revolving cycle of street violence.

``You can't calculate the talent we have lost to death or prison terms,'' Brown said. ``Our next generation of leaders is out there, but they are caught in this wave of violence.''

Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden, who said the city is spending nearly $500,000 on gang prevention programs in his district alone, said the victims go beyond gang members themselves.

``This should be a period of joy,'' Holden said. ``Instead, I am afraid we will see tragedies of children and mothers and grandmothers dying on the streets.''

In his district alone this year, Holden said there have been 26 gang-related deaths.

``And what is the worst thing about it is that they were all under the age of 25,'' Holden said.

On Sunday, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Mario Navidad was fatally shot by a gang member who had stolen a six-pack of beer. The 17-year-old gang member was killed by Navidad's partner.