Gang Reduction Zone Launched in South LA

CNS - The city’s newest Community Law Enforcement and Recovery site was designated Nov. 28 in the Baldwin Village area, where there have been eight homicides this year, twice as many as last year.

“We are here today to start a new chapter in this neighborhood’s history, to write a new story of hope, and to tell the tale of a brighter future for Baldwin Village,” Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

The program is an effort to dedicate funding and personnel to eradicating gang violence in the city’s hardest hit communities. Seven of Baldwin Village’s homicides this year were gang-related, according to a Villaraigosa aide.

“This effort will require the collaboration, coordination and cooperation of everyone standing here today, and its success will depend on the involvement and support of the Baldwin Village community,” Villaraigosa said.

The Southwest CLEAR site is the city’s seventh. Guillermo Cespedes will serve as the director of Gang Reduction and Youth Development for Baldwin Village.

“Guillermo Cespedes will serve as a key liaison to the Baldwin Village community,” Villaraigosa said. “He has the experience, the background and the passion to serve this neighborhood, and he will play a vital role in building a brighter future for every resident.”

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