Los Angeles – Assemblymember Anna M. Caballero was joined by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and five other California legislators in a hearing designed to identify the conditions and risk factors that lead young people to participate in gangs and violent acts. 

“Youth violence destroys lives, tears communities apart.  We spend billions on efforts to suppress gangs,” said Caballero, chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Youth Violence Prevention.  “We must do a better job of preventing youth violence from happening in the first place.”

The committee heard from a panel of experts in an effort to better understand the underlying factors that cause young people to become involved in gangs and violence, and what communities are doing to prevent violence.  In addition to hearing background information on youth violence, the panel heard about public, community, nonprofit and public-private partnership efforts to address the root causes of youth violence. 

Early childhood education, after-school and recreation programs, literacy programs and career technical education were all featured as critical to communities’ success in diverting kids from gang activities. 

The select committee plans to hold at least two more hearings in other locations around the state. 

The committee’s next hearings will focus on ways that state and other resources can be realigned to better meet the needs of communities working to prevent gang violence, as well as highlight effective community programs.  “Youth violence is a problem in communities throughout our state,” said Caballero.  “Los Angeles may be ‘ground zero’ by virtue of the sheer numbers of people living there.  But the problem is just as critical in rural areas and mid-size cities as it is in a big city.”

"The select committee will produce a “tool-kit” that will help identify legislative and state budget changes to support the work of communities seeking solutions to youth violence.  The “tool-kit” will also provide information to communities about successful, tested approaches that have been effective in reducing youth violence. 

Assembly members present:

Speaker Fabian Nunez
Assemblymember Anna Caballero
Assemblymember Joe Coto
Assemblymember Kevin De León
Assemblymember Mark DeSaulnier
Assemblymember Mike Feuer
Assemblymember Sandré Swanson

Participants:

Susanna Kniffen,
Policy Director with Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California

Bill Martinez
Association of Community Based Gang Intervention Workers

Connie Rice
Co-Director, Advancement Project of Los Angeles

Bruce Riordan
Director of Anti-Gang Operations for the City Attorney of Los Angeles

Robert Ross