At a press conference this morning, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will announce his choice for a new Los Angeles gang czar to replace outgoing gang czar Rev. Jeff Carr. (If you remember, Carr was recently named as the mayor’s chief of staff to replace outgoing Robin Kramer.)
In Carr’s place, Villaraigosa’s new Director of Gang Reduction and Youth Development Programs will be Guillermo Cespedes, who has most recently been the program director of the mayor’s Summer Night Lights program.
I have yet to meet Guillermo Cespedes (and look forward to doing so). But the fact that Rev. Carr and the mayor have promoted from within their program ranks, rather than searching outside city hall offices for candidates, could be a good idea—OR it could be a way of ensuring that the existing gang programs go on pretty much unchallenged.
Which would not be a good thing.
While Summer Night Lights is clearly a very positive program, it lasts only for two months out of the year and represents one small part of the mayor’s gang violence reduction budget
What, exactly has been accomplished with the main portion of the millions of dollars spent since January on gang programs, is far less clear.
I would hope that, once he gets his feet under him, Guillermo Cespedes will have the freedom to challenge—and recalibrate—the various gang prevention and intervention programs, some of which sorely need challenging and recalibrating.
By the way, a small interesting bio-fact about Cespedes, who is Cuban American: he was one of the so-called Peter Pan children, more than 14,000 kids who, between 1960 and 1962, were sent to Miami from Cuba by their parents with the help of the U.S. government .
NOTE: Although the news had not been released last night when I wrote this post, after the announcement becomes official today, I will have more.
Great scoop Celeste. You make some very valid points and issues many of us throughout the city have discussed at various meetings. I don’t think the Summer Night Lights programs have been successful this year especially in the South LA. They have had a horrible string of homicides from July to August about 32. Its alarming I’ve asked around and no one knows this guy at all. Thanks for bringing this out to light…”What, exactly has been accomplished with the main portion of the millions of dollars spent since January on gang programs, is far less clear.” Our issue is especially in CD14 there are gang programs getting money that aren’t even in the city boundaries. I wonder what other districts are paying for programs not within city boundaries. This needs to be investigated
I know that Guillermo Cespedes has seen and heard all the various forces that has complicated the Los Angeles gang issue.
If he has no personal back door aspirations with City Hall or the Mayor (member of the ass rubbing team), he will probably do a much better job than even Rev.Carr.
I wait and see where this goes…
The whole focus on gangs has always been suspect to me. In Oakland, you don’t have gangs like you do in LA. There’s no affiliate networks of gangs like Crips, Gangsta Crips, Neighborhood Crips, rollin 0’s, bloods, brims, pirus, nothing like it. You do have Nortenos and Surenos, affiliated with prison gangs such as the Nuestra Familia and the Mexican Mafia, respectively, but their role in Oakland’s violent crime rate is minimal. In Oakland, you have small “turfs” that war with each other over drug sales, and the murder rate in Oakland is out of sight. It has to be worse than in LA per capita. Yet, most of these murders are not gang related. They’re drug related. In fact, many of Oakland’s murders have involved one guy killing another guy from his own so called turf. It’s all about drugs and money. In Los Angeles, it’s rare that gang members kill members of their own gangs. Dare I say that the presence of gangs in LA and their deep rooted culture and history actually prevents violence to some degree? That’s a blasphemous statement amongst the johnny laws of the world, but it’s the cold hard truth rather they like it or not. The crime reports prove it. In Oakland, you kill your brother or neighbor if they con you out of one dollar. In LA, you don’t. It’s unacceptable. There’s a dynamic to that that law enforcement and overall conservatives don’t want to shed light on. An elephant in the room, so to speak. It could very well be that Los Angeles is lucky they have gangs. When you consider the population of poor residents in places like South Central, Pico Union, Boyle Heights, imagine if the gang culture disappeared and a culture involving every man for himself, similar to that of Oakland, took over, considering how much more populated LA’s ghettos are than those of Oakland? As John Gotti once said, “one day they’ll thank me”. I can see a few OG’s and veteranos saying the same. My overall point: Work with the gangs. Take advantage of their power. I’m not saying gangs are saints, but again, imagine an impoverished, drug ridden LA without them, and you have Oakland on steroids; a bullet spitting cyborg with no central brain. Who do you work with in Oakland? Oakland has guys called “OGs”, but they don’t control anything. It’s just an honorary term used to describe guys who’ve survived a life on the streets. There’s nothing. No antlers to grab hold of. Just a bunch of teens and pre teens, and their assault rifles. In Los Angeles, you have antlers. You have older gang members you can work with. The Mexican Mafia has a great deal of influence over Los Angeles’s mostly Mexican-American and Mexican “Sureno” gangs. What efforts have been made by any level of government to work with them? There’s an avenue there. It may crush up against the ideals of conservatives, but it’s just how the real world works, and desperate times require desperate measures.
Just like we can thank liberal environmentalists for most of the LA fire damage, we can thank liberal social activists for these murderous Hispanic gangs, because of their opposition to strong enforcement against illegal immigration. Isn’t it funny that in trying to help the world, liberals only make it worse? Not really.
Liberal environmentalists are not to blame for most of the LA fire damage, Woody, nor are liberal social activists to blame for gang violence. Your arguments in both cases are flawed and far reaching.
A second person to be elevated thanks to the relatively modest and limited Summer Nights Lights program. This makes mroe sense to me, frankly, than elevating someone like Carr to be in charge of the whole spectrum of public safety from gangs to Homeland Security, where he’s had no experience. No controversy, either, having had such a limited resume. Isn’t there a position left to fill in the latter category, that could be quite significant – but technically, wouldn’t that Dep. Mayor have to report to Carr?
What a great idea let’s work out a deal with the mexican mafia, the mexican mafia veteranos are the father figures and puppet masters of the latino kids in Los Angeles anyway. Why waste money on gang reduction and intervention programs let the cholos run the varrios and keep the peace.
Let the cholos and mexican mafia decide the tax rate for the East L.A. street vendors and they won’t have to kill anybody who refuses to pay.
Now we just need to work with the mexican drug cartels and let them decide how the mexican kids should sell and use their drugs and distribute their profits.
This blog is full of great minds.
WTF, there’s no proof the Mexican Mafia taxes street vendors. A lot of people believe that the shooting where the little girl was unfortunately hit was a case of a mistaken identity, and was over drugs.
The Mexican cartels are a minor threat this side of the border, at best. They’re irrelevant to this discussion.
Sr. Hampton should read the federal indicment against the 18th street gang which details the taxing of street vendors in Los Angeles. The mexican gangs also tax prostitutes and taxi drivers who take clients to the casitas for the after hour parties and hookers. Srt. Hampton ask about fichera bars and taxes by the cholos. You are clueless.
http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/la061609.htm
Sr. Hampton should visit the Westklake area around the Foood for Less and ask the illegal street vendors about street taxes. It’s a well known fact by everyone who knows the area.
And the mexican drug cartels own many clubs and other legit companies to hide their drug profits, the mexican drug cartrels have a heavy influence and presence in the U.S.
But of course the bleeding heart liberals are blinded by their belief that evil does not exist.
Mr. Hampton,
Do you just write up and create bogus ill information to pump up the entire blog. Overall, you seem to be such a stupid person – straight idiot.
WTF, a federal indictment is not proof. It’s an indictment. The EME undoubtedly extorts drug dealers but not street vendors. Sensationalist bullshit.
And, the drug cartels are at worst a minor threat on this side of the border.
poplockerone, you’re like a girl cheering on the sideline.
Wow Hampton, you sure know how to argue a “sensationalist bullshit” come back – but like I said before – your a straight idiota. Write something that will provide credibility that your brain is not the size of a primative ass scratching monkey. please…do all a favor.
poplockerone, you’ve brought nothing to this discussion other than cheerleading other people’s debates. Grab your pom poms and listen to your lady gaga, while adults talk.
“But of course the bleeding heart liberals are blinded by their belief that evil does not exist.”
Ha ha ha!!! You don’t even know what evil is. Was the slave trade evil? Was the genocide of the American Indian evil? Was the conquering of California and the ensuing mass slaughters and deportations of Mexicans evil? How about that shock and awe, bombs killing and maiming thousands of innocent Iraqis, to get those wmds that Hussein never had? No. To you republicans, just black and brown gang members are evil. Get your goofy sign and your megaphone and find a town hall.
Methamphetamine has reached an all time low…..
Sr. Hampton sounds like a cholo apologist, you forgot to include the Nazis in your comment about evil. jejeje
You obviously don’t know jack shit about what illegal activities the L.A. gangs are involved with. I don’t need to read a federal indicment to “believe”, I personally know the victims of the L.A. gangs.
As George Lopez would say, tu eres … El Mas Pendejo.
street vendors are taxed with out a dout, and the drug cartels presence in america grows dailey.
Methamphetamine? I’m from Oakland, not Nebraska.
WTF, yeh, I forgot the Nazis in my comment about evil, where you forgot the slave trade, the Indian genocide, the Mexican American war, and the Iraq war. But you did give us 18th street. Ooh, ok, gang members are evil. Got ya. You’re still spreading false shit exaggerated by the media and law enforcement. You’re talking about I don’t know what’s going on in LA when you think gangs are extorting street vendors (drug game too lucrative to get involved with stupid shit like that) and that the Mexican cartels are running LA’s drug market! Ha ha ha haaaa!!!
roy, it aint happening, sorry. LA’s a sanctuary city so the street vendors have complete recourse. The gangs couldn’t extort them if they wanted to. That’s the dirty secret that WTF’s bullshit indictment doesn’t tell you. I don’t mind you guys getting your information from the evening news, which is the lowest form of journalism, designed to scare old ladies. But don’t act like you know shit because of it. Cartels aint running shit in America. Yeh they might own a few clubs in paisa neighborhoods but they are not involved in street drug dealing here in America. They do supply it at the other end, though. and they do things their way on their side of the border. They don’t do shit on this side of the border. But keep believing those right wing, anti immigration newsletters, genius.
really? so there not growing alot of there pot here now?i see alot of border cities having problems with the cartels and spread of violence is that all false?as far as the street vendors thats from first hand knowledge not any news program.
It aint happening, sorry. LA’s a sanctuary city so the street vendors have complete recourse. The gangs couldn’t extort them if they wanted to.
*****************
That is one stupid-ass comment, news-flash gangs use intimidation and fear to extort money and avoid prosecution for crimes. Drug cartels are not involved in dime bag distribution but the sure as hell are the major distributors.
I don’t know where Mr. Hampton lives but doesn’t sound like in LA. Everyone knows the gangs extort from street vendors. Robberies are up on those taco trucks too. Just last month 5 robberies in the county of taco trucks. Gangs are desperate for money and these vendors take in thousands a week.
Janet, why would gangs rob vendors, as in strong arm, if they’re already extorting them? You said robberies on vendors are up, “too”, meaning, in addition to extortion. Doesn’t make sense. If gangs are extorting them, there’s no need to rob them. Also, if there is extortion, and I believe there could be, there’s no doubt the Mexican Mafia has its hand in it. So you’re telling me that gangs are robbing vendors that are kicking up to the EME? No way. Sorry. That’s instant green light status. (green light = Mexican Mafia’s hit list). Your commentary just doesn’t add up, Janet.
I apologize Janet, you said taco trucks, as well as vendors. I worked today and I’m in speed read mode tonight. LOL. Disregard my recent comment, as there is no contradiction in your point. At first read, I thought you said that vendors were being robbed as well as extorted.