2007 Citywide Gang Suppression Plan
PRESS RELEASE

February 8, 2007

MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA AND CHIEF BRATTON RELEASE CITYWIDE GANG SUPPRESSION PLAN

Summary: Citywide Gang Suppression Plan

LOS ANGELES - Working to combat a rise in gang violence in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief William Bratton today released a citywide gang suppression plan to target the worst offenders and the most violent street gangs.

The gang suppression plan is the first step in Mayor Villaraigosa’s anti-gang strategy, which will be the most comprehensive and coordinated effort the City of Los Angeles has undertaken by linking federal, state and local law enforcement agency efforts along with intervention and prevention initiatives.

"We are mounting a coordinated, aggressive suppression strategy that targets the worst offenders and the most violent gangs, and we are coming at them with everything we have," Mayor Villaraigosa said. "The suppression strategy is unprecedented in its scope and its level of coordination with other law enforcement agencies."

Although overall crime is down in Los Angeles for the fifth straight year, gang crime rose by 14% in 2006. In the San Fernando Valley alone, gang crime is up by more than 43% overall, and in the area covered by the Mission Community Police Station gang crime in up by nearly 160%. Violent street gangs are responsible for a majority of the murders and nearly 70% of the shootings in the City.

"We will not tolerate the senseless murder of innocent residents of this city. We will not tolerate violent attacks on our brave men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. And we certainly will not tolerate violence motivated by race or ethnicity," Mayor Villaraigosa added.

"Suppressing violent street gangs is the necessary first step, but enforcement alone is not enough. We will aggressively enforce the law, but we must be equally aggressive in providing our kids with opportunities and alternatives and hope for the future. A truly effective strategy to reduce gang violence must also address the root causes of that violence. And make no mistake about it: our success in reducing gang crime is fundamentally tied to our success in reducing the dropout rate in our public schools."

A summary of the Citywide Gang Suppression Plan is attached.

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Contact:
Matt Szabo
(213) 978-0741