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# Anti-violence coalition resumes its mission
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/anti-violence-coalition-resumes-its-mission/
- Published: 2003-12-06T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:18:17.000Z
- Author: John Wood
- Tags: Education, Pico, #archive-import

*Group formed after stabbing of Samohi student in 2001*

A small but representative nucleus of local activists and officials intent on stemming violence in Santa Monica reconvened Thursday, agreeing to formulate a mission statement and take stock of available resources.

The “Community Violence Prevention Coalition” was originally formed in response to the fatal stabbing of a Samohi student in November of 2001\. While the exact goals of the group remain unclear, members agreed in a roundtable discussion that violence throughout Santa Monica needs to be stemmed through education and prevention.

“It’s all about power,” said resident Michal Golan, who founded a non-violence center and conducts workshops on the issue. “Where you find the power of non-violence is in education.”

> “It’s all about power,”

> “Where you find the power of non-violence is in education.”

Among those in attendance Thursday at the Pico Youth and Family Center were local peace activist Jerry Rubin, Santa Monica Police Department Lt. P.J. Guido, City Hall worker Betty Macias, Santa Monica High School worker Kathy McTaggart and meeting facilitator and Pico Center worker Leslie Sultan.

Group members agreed to compile a list of resources available to them from City Hall, the police department, previous meetings and various other sources by e-mailing ideas to Sultan. The coalition is expected to review that list and draft a mission statement at its next scheduled meeting — Thursday, January 8, at the police department headquarters.

“It’s a lot more than just what’s in this room. Each of us has tentacles that go out in a million directions,” said McTaggart. “A lot of people need to come out of their houses to be a part of the awareness and a part of the process.”

Since its creation in the wake of the fatal stabbing of Samohi student Deanna Maran at a party in 2001, the coalition has sponsored various community-related events at Samohi and throughout the city.

3A5,“It began, really, with a group of community parents, teachers, students and clergy from the community who came together for a meeting here at Santa Monica High School shortly after Deanna’s death,” McTaggart said Friday. “All these people were feeling in need, not just to mourn Deanna and the other student who died, but to really do something.”

Coalition meetings, which were held regularly for several months, tapered off last year and have recently been revived.

“We stopped for a number of months because there were other issues (facing the community),” McTaggart said Friday. “Now we’ve reconvened.”

The debate over violence in Santa Monica has recently grown a little louder in response to a spate of gunshots this year in the eastside Pico neighborhood, including the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Jalonnie Carter. Group members, however, said despite that violence, no one incident spurred the coalition back into action.

140,SMPD Lt. Guido urged the coalition to keep its focus broad, adding that targeting only the Pico neighborhood would be a mistake.

“There’s a potential for violence all over Santa Monica,” he said.

> “There’s a potential for violence all over Santa Monica.” — said resident Michal Golan, who founded a non-violence center and conducts workshops on the issue. — LT. P.J. GUIDO SMPD

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 6, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/120603.pdf?ref=smdp.com)