Bratton, Baca Talk About "Summer of Success" at Harvard University

Gang violence can't be stopped through law enforcement alone. They know that in LA:

By Daily News wire services
Posted: 04/17/2009 07:57:45 AM PDT
Updated: 04/17/2009 08:04:40 AM PDT

LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, Sheriff Lee Baca and community advocate Connie Rice say that Los Angeles' "Summer of Success" program is a model of community-law enforcement cooperation and could reduce gang violence if broadly implemented.

The three participated in a panel Thursday at the Kennedy School at Harvard University to explore the complexities of maintaining the successful anti-gang program year-round and extending the model to cities nationwide.

The "Summer of Success" program was a nine-week, neighborhood-based program in 2003 focused on assisting at-risk youth by providing resources within their communities, such as midnight swimming, midnight soccer, tutoring, reading programs and other round-the-clock alternatives to gangbanging.

During those nine weeks, homicides dropped to zero and other violent crimes dropped 20 percent, Baca said in a statement.

The panelists called gangs in Los Angeles a public health disaster of epidemic proportions, noting that more than 5,750 people, including innocent bystanders, have been killed in Los Angeles County as a direct result of gang violence during the last 10 years.

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