What is disheartening about this situation is that everyone in the schools and city government knows exactly what is happening and they have not connected the dots. Mayor Villaragosa appointed a “gang czar” to develop an anti-gang program. Jeff Carr, an evangelical pastor with decades of experience working with gangs, received that appointment but the action to date has been almost nothing. It’s all talk. Articles in the local newspapers are all part of the talk. The latest iteration of anti-gang efforts is the Gang Reduction Youth Development team (GRYD) in the Mayor’s office. It is a program that has been in place for a year. Results? Nothing has changed. Jeff Carr has been appointed to another position at city hall.
It’s time to connect the dots. Los Angeles faces serious gang activity. At least one third of the school population is dropping out before graduation. The public schools do not provide any after school programs unless they receive pay for use fees. Furthermore the schools lack programs to provide high school graduates with basic skills to enter a trade. Does anyone in elected office see the connection between these facts? Apparently not.
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