AT-RISK YOUTH PROGRAMS / VENICE AND DEL REY

Motion - On June 5, 2006, 17 year-old Agustin Contreras was shot and killed at Venice High School, the apparent victim of gang brutality. Described as a good student with a promising future, Agustin was reportedly killed when he intervened to protect his younger brother from a gang-related robbery and assault. His death is an unspeakable tragedy that has rocked the campus and the entire community. The shooting echoes previous cycles of violence that have threatened the campus, maimed and wounded innocent victims, and disrupted the lives of families living in nearby communities, especially in the Oakwood neighborhood of Venice, and in Del Rey. On June 6, 2006, Council District 11 held a Town Meeting at the Oakwood Recreation Center focusing on gang violence and rising community tensions. The meeting voiced an anguished cry for more and better services for at-risk youth on the Westside, too often forgotten or ignored in the shadows of the surrounding affluent communities. The cycle of violence in our neighborhoods must be stopped. It is inextricably intertwined with poverty, with hopelessness, with lack of opportunity. THEREFORE MOVE that Chief Legislative Analyst coordinate with City Administrative Officer, the Community Development Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice Planning, the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Commission on Children, Youth and Their Families, and other relevant department and agencies, and report back within 10 days with recommendations on how to augment funding for programs serving at-risk youth in the communities of Venice and Del Rey. FURTHER MOVE that the Chief Legislative Analyst prepare a full and exhaustive list of job training and at-risk youth employment programs, and work with Council District 11 and local neighborhood councils to publicize those programs directly to at-risk populations in Venice and Del Rey. FURTHER MOVE that the Community Development Department work with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Los Angeles Police Department, local neighborhood councils, and other agencies and departments as appropriate, to determine the need and available resources for the establishment of a Venice High School "Safe Passages" program, similar to programs at campuses in other parts of the City. FURTHER MOVE that the Community Development Department report back on the potential for providing specialized training in fundraising, grant-writing, and professional development for community organizations in CD 11 serving at-risk youth. FURTHER MOVE that the City Council request the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission to work with the Los Angeles Police Department, local neighborhood organizations, and Los Angeles Unified School District, especially officials at Venice High School, Mark Twain Middle School, and other local schools, to make every effort and use every resource possible to calm tensions and prevent retaliatory attacks and any additional violence. REFER TO COUNCIL FILE 06-0010-S18

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