As you know Gang Activity reduction has become mine, and Chief Bratton’s number one prioritiy for the City of Los Angeles!
Currently, there are some hurdles that will prevent us from doing all that we know how to do to confront and diminish gang activity in this City.
But, fortunaltley, there are things we have already begun, in taking back our city streets and restoring our communities.
See, part of the problem, is gang activity has slowly been building up, however, recently we have seen a surge in activity. However, although it should be considered a State or Federal Emergency, as in the case of natural disasters, or terror attack, until now, there hasn’t been this type of united sense of urgency, as there currently is with myself, Governor Schwarteznegger, Chief Bratton, and I even flew to our Nation’s capital, to help pass along this sense of urgency to the powers that be in Washington, in asking for their added assistance.
Some of the obsticles that prevent us from doing all that we can are the prison system itself. We simply do not have enough beds to house all the people we are going to have to take off the streets,once and for all.
Secondly, we need more recruits at LAPD. More officers, visible on the streets good crime prevention. And more officers working with the decent citizens of the community, who are LAPD’s best asset.
And regarding recruitment: I will be offering new bonus incentives to attract new recruits to LAPD and prevent good local candidates from going to police departments outside the area, and to help attract recruits from outside the area.
Unfortunately, many good recruits are fighting the war in Iraq, so that adds to the challenge. And, the problem that we are losing many possible recruits to gangs themselves. Adding to the drop-out rate, which prevents someone from becoming a recruit; which only makes it easier for gangs to further prey on our youth.
So I appeal to all the decent young men and women living right here in the City of Los Angeles and the outlying areas. Consider doing what it takes to get good enough grades to graduate so you can have a future beyond rolling with a gang all your life. Because the occupation of “gang member” has a very short life expetancy. And the others, end up locked-up.
And I’d also like to take this moment to speak one on one with all the gang members and potential gang members and individuals getting their illegal hustle on. In the movie “Scarface”, Scarface is not someone to look up to to pattern yourself after. It’s a lesson! It shows you the pitfalls. How you are eventually going down. Everyone thinks they can be like Pacino in the first part of the movie. But day, after day, banging on the streets, you’re gonna end up making the same mistakes and going down just as hard. I’ve seen it time, after time, after time. You just can’t beat the game. Look at the statistics. Look at the numbers. You are either going to have a short life-expectancy, or you’re going to end up locked up. Look around you. Everyone thinks their invinsible. Eveyone thinks the bullets will miss them, like in the movies. But look around you and think about it.
Some people say it is already too late for the generation we have lost to gang activity on the streets. And building new prisions and hiring more police to lock-up all the life-long gangsters, who just can’t break the pattern, will unfortunately have to be part of the long-term solution. And I say, “unfortunately”, because it is unfortunate: However mean and ruthless these people have become, no baby is born bad. These people are a result of the society around them. And we are trying to do more to help provide alternatives for the community in the form of after school, recreational and work programs.
But we will be living with this problem for the forseeable future. I can stand here and tell you we are going to wipe away gang violence in six months. That would be a joke. There is no button to press. So in the meantime, I would like to again, address all the troublemakers out there, and you know who you are, who are making the streets unsafe for your mammas and the kids. You are also everyday members of the community. Brothers, fathers, sons, nephews, cousins of people who love you, and who you love. Being a gang member is a job. It’s how you are making your livelihood. I know that. I have a problem with that, but I know that. It’s your profession. So be professional. Think of Scarface as a lesson of what not to do. What mistakes not to make. A good hustler is a low-key and under-the-radar as possible. He’s not trying to bother anyone; hurt anyone; disrespect anyone. He’s a business man. And constant beefs and problems are bad for business. It causes too much attention. Attracts too much heat. Smarten up out there. I know I’m not going to be able to stop you from doing certain things, because the City is just too big. So start by being an intelligent gangsta and recognize the rules of the game. If little kids are being shot and killed in the cross-fire, that should be a pretty good sign that the people around you are on the fast path to demise, lock-up or death, as in Scarface.
You’re doing things you aren’t supposed to be doing. You’re stealing the soul from your family, from the people who love you and need you. At least let them be able to use the streets so they can carry on with life.
Don’t hurt them. Handle your business and be done with it.
And as you’re going about your day, try and be just a litttle bit more tolerant. Give the other guy a break. Be the bigger person. People depend on you and we don’t want you in our prisions. Please help us. We do not want to pay for your life-long prision sentence. So I’m asking everyone in these hot spots. Chill out, just a little bit. If someone cuts you off in traffic, I’m not saying it isn’t going to piss you off. But recognize that person is a fool, and feel sorry for them that they have to be like that. You got bigger fish to fry. And you’re trying to stay out of jail. So let the fool go and get back to the better music you were listening to, or the finer woman you have, or whatever.
Damn, the problem with the people who end up falling into gangs is that they let other people drag them down, and they sink to their level.
So for those elementary and junior high school kids who have seen how terrible a life of crime on the streets, actually is, on a day-to-day basis, your city, state and nation will be doing more to provide the resources your community needs to help provide you with safe alternatives to allow you to keep from getting trapped into a life of crime.
Again, after school programs, recreational, work and social programs will be place on the fast track and we’ll be getting the word out to the kids and parents.
I want to emphasize again to all the professional criminals. Get out of the game now. If you are someone who is conflicted about your gang identity, and want to walk away, but don’t know how to get out, we have a gang outreach program in your neighborhood. Call *** 24/7 and we’ll work with you on getting you out.
And if you are still caught up. Remember Scarface is a lesson on the pitfalls, not a roll model. Remember how the movie ends. If you are a career criminal, be more professional. Handle your business. Don’t bother innocent people, and stay chill. You got bigger fish to fry, and people who love you, so be a little more tolerant and let a few more of the little nusaince type things fools do around you slide.
And the number one crime prevention measure is starting with the young kids. Early elementary school is the time to instill the proper values regarding family and education. And this brings me to my final point I’d like to mention, for now, in what can be done to combat gang activity in our City: Parents. Parent, you must take on a bigger leadership role in your kids lives. I know it’s hard with most families having both parents working full time jobs, leaving the kids unattended. This is part of how we loose kids to gangs. So parents, start early. Learn to instill the proper values, discipline. It isn’t easy. But any parent can be content to blame the schools, blame the other parents, blame the police. And all of us can do more. But ultimatley, it is you who will instill the values that guide your kids through life, one way or the other.
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