Mayor takes over gang fight
By Rick Orlov Staff Writer
Article Launched: 04/09/2008 09:56:02 PM PDT


Faced with growing public pressure to quell gang violence in Los Angeles, the City Council signed off Wednesday on a plan to turn over all of the city's gang intervention and prevention programs to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for at least 18 months.

The 12-0 vote marked a victory for the mayor and City Controller Laura Chick, who had been pushing for mayoral control of the programs - which spend an estimated $19million a year - with as few restrictions as possible.

The vote also ends nearly two months of acrimony between Chick and Councilman Tony Cardenas, who chairs the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Gangs and had resisted giving Villaraigosa control of the programs.

But faced with the expectation that the mayor will outline his own anti-gang strategy Monday, council President Eric Garcetti and Cardenas proposed the compromise deal with the time limit.

At the end of 18 months, the council will review the programs to determine whether to let the Mayor's Office continue oversight or whether to reorganize again.

"The work is not done," Cardenas said. "If, in fact, after 18 months, things are working out, perhaps it will remain in the Mayor's Office. But it could be - if another solution comes up - we will be able to sit back and make that determination.

"There is no silver bullet to ending gang violence. What we have to recognize is that what we are spending on intervention is not enough."

Sacramento on Wednesday with gang advisers to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, hailed the deal.
"The winners today are the people of Los Angeles who have suffered under the prolonged gang violence in our streets and neighborhoods," Chick said.

"Now we owe it to the public to work together to ensure that this approach is truly successful in combating the gang crisis."

Aides to Villaraigosa said the mayor's only concern had been on whether any restrictions would be placed on his ability to develop the gang programs run by Deputy Mayor Jeff Carr.

Villaraigosa spokesman Matt Szabo said the mayor backs the compromise proposal.

"There is a clear and unified consensus in this city that we need to radically change the way we work to reduce gang violence, and the mayor is willing to be that change agent," Szabo said.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_8871536