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5,750 People Killed in Gang Violence in the last 10 Years
Whether they were gang members or innocent bystanders, that's a high number of deaths over the last ten years for Los Angeles County. But with an estimated 1,000 gangs and over 80,000 gang members, is this any surprise? Yesterday at a panel on gang violence, LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, Sheriff Lee Baca and community advocate Connie Rice called gangs a "public health disaster of epidemic proportions," as the Daily News put it. The panel said they want to expand a 2003 summer program called "Summer of Success" that put at-risk youth into activities. Homicides dropped to zero and violent crime was down 20% during those nine weeks, they said.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
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