Gang Reduction Strategy: Expansion of the Gang Reduction Program

The City of Los Angeles is home to the largest and most established gang population in the country with over 400 separate gangs with 39,000 members. LA's Office of the Mayor proposes to draw upon the successful partnership forged between the Gang Reduction Program (established in Boyle Heights)and CLEAR Program, using their operating principles to establish similar efforts in the carefully identified gang reduction zones. These zones include Foothill-Pacoima, San Fernando Valley, Hollenbeck-Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Newton-South Los Angeles and Northeast-Highland Park-East Los Angeles. The Gang Reduction Program (GRP) in Boyle Heights will be held as an excellent example of how the City and community can successfully employ a collaborative and integrated comprehensive approach to reducing gang violence. Four Gang Reduction Zones currently operate the Community Law Enforcement and Recovery (CLEAR) Program. Created in 1997, the CLEAR program is specifically designed to suppress gang violence (rather than overall crime reduction) and has proven successful in several parts of the City. A new collaborative must be developed with residents and area organizations to saturate and sustain prevention, intervention, and re-entry services in the streets and neighborhoods of greatest gang violence. In all, LA expects to have eight (8) Gang Reduction Zones in place beginning July 1, 2007. This grant would assist in supporting three (3) new GRZ's (Newton, Foothill, and Northeast) and continue the success of the Hollenbeck GRZ (Gang Reduction Program in Boyle Heights). The CLEAR Program model, coupled with essential social services, is recognized as an effective strategy in dealing with gang violence in a neighborhood. With this grant, Los Angeles plans to saturate those neighborhoods victimized by gang violence with much-needed prevention, intervention, and re-entry services coupled with an integrated and collaborative suppression program. CA/NCF