By David Mendez-Yapkowitz Santa Monica
The real deal on making a difference Editor: I find it very laughable that new SMPD chief Timothy Jackman was recently quoted as saying he would be an advocate for the Pico Neighborhood. All it is, is the most recent in a long line of people singing the same old song. It’s nothing but a smokescreen to garner good press and make it seem like things are actually getting done.
While PALS may very well be a successful program, it is no secret that PALS does not work with the youth who need guidance the most. The type of youth that other organizations in Santa Monica, such as the Pico Youth and Family Center, work with.
I was recently asked to work with some of these youth to help alleviate a recent outbreak of violence in my old gang-patrolled neighborhood in Los Angeles. In only my first day there, I was able to accomplish more than any law enforcement officer ever has. The youth respect me, and listen to me because they know I’m going to come at them with the type of respect they deserve. They could tell right off the bat that I’m real and that I truly do care about their future, unlike law enforcement. It raises a question that I’ve recently begun to ask myself, why is it that I can come in right away and make a difference in these kids lives, and law enforcement fails time and time again?
People like myself, and those who work at similar organizations, are truly helping our impoverished, minority youth. We’re keeping them off the streets, those of us who have been through it before, not law enforcement. Maybe Jackman will help to change all of this, but I seriously doubt it. The SMPD will continue to receive accolades, while those of us who are actually making a difference, without law enforcement’s help, will be silenced and our grievances swept under the rug as if we don’t exist.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 27, 2006. Read the original PDF.