> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # RAND researcher John MacDonald advises on crime prevention for Pico gang violence plan - URL: https://www.smdp.com/communityprofiles-community-profiles-is-a-weekly-series-that-appears-each-monday-and-delves-into-the-people-who-live-work-and-play-in-santa-monica-joh/ - Published: 2005-03-14T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T06:14:33.000Z - Author: Ryan Hyatt - Tags: Community, Pico, #archive-import *PROFILES, from page 1 John MacDonald* John MacDonald could probably break your neck in a barroom brawl before you had a chance to blink, but luckily it’s not in his character. A few inches shy of 6 feet tall, the 32-year-old, who holds a black belt in martial arts, showed up to last month’s gang violence workshop at John Adams Middle School wearing a shirt, tie and slacks. He wasn’t there as a reformed criminal. He was there as one of the expert panelists. MacDonald is a behavioral scientist with the RAND Corp., the Santa Monica-based think tank. He was invited to the gang violence workshop because of research he does on crime-prevention programs, which some community members feel will be key to addressing Santa Monica’s problems with gang violence. MacDonald’s advice might be helpful in coming months as organizers create an action plan to reduce gang violence in the Pico neighborhood. “Social programs come and go, but community involvement can be lasting,” MacDonald said. “There was once a program that gave gang members money to change their life. No surprise, the gang members spent the money on guns and drugs. A lot of programs out there are like this. They are based on a pie-in-the-sky philosophy. It’s important to look at programs and see what works.” The RAND Corp. name is based on an acronym for research and development, according to a company profile. The nonprofit organization was started in the aftermath of WWII to connect military planning needs with the private sector. The company headquarters was based at the Douglas Aircraft plant at the old Santa Monica municipal airport, later moving to its current location across from City Hall. MacDonald moved to Santa Monica in September when he began his position at RAND. Originally from Northern California, he was raised in Evanston, Ill., and did his undergraduate work in political science at Vasser, in New York. He completed his graduate work at the University of Maryland, where he worked at the Justice Department’s Institute for Justice while earning his doctorate in behavioral science, which he did at the age of 26\. MacDonald spent five years as a professor at the University of Florida before moving to Santa Monica. What do you like about Santa Monica? “I like the diversity in the community. Obviously, the beaches are beautiful, but I like the diversity you find in Santa Monica. There is economic and cultural diversity, and I think that’s a big draw for the city.” Are you here with any family? “No. I’m single. But I’m optimistic. Santa Monica has its share of women.” What kinds of activities do you enjoy? “I’m into martial arts. I have a black belt. I also lift weights, but I actually get enough of a workout with the martial arts that I don’t feel the need to lift weights. I also have been doing yoga since I moved out here.” What do you like about yoga? “It’s a great way to relax. Also a way to meet people, and it’s not as aggressive as martial arts.” How did you get interested in crime? “I was a political science major and planned on becoming a lawyer. Then I took a class in criminology and realized I preferred studying crime more than studying the law.” Why are you involved in criminology? “My whole goal has been to work on research that could affect social change, to look at the way the criminal justice system works and make it more effective. It’s not always easy because of the political dynamic, but I believe we’re making headway.” How is RAND funded? “RAND is funded though foundations, and research and development money. Half of it comes from military, and the other half comes from social program sources, such as the National Institute of Health and the Justice Department.” What are you working on now? “I’m working on several projects right now, but one of them is called Projects for Safe Neighborhoods. It’s a federal program to reduce gang violence in inner-city communities.” What are you doing for Safe Neighborhoods? “We’re looking at what’s going on with community crime-prevention programs. We’re working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to try to help identify areas with particularly high levels of gun crime in Los Angeles, to organize with other law enforcement agencies to come up with strategies to help solve crime problems. One of the problems is that a lot of law enforcement agencies do a poor job communicating with each other, and we’re trying to help.” How does violence in Pico compare to other neighborhoods in Los Angeles? “The level of violence in Pico is much lower than some parts of Los Angeles, such as the 77th District. There were 40 homicides there last year. Pico will never have 40 homicides, unless someone went on some kind of killing rampage or something. The scope of the problem in other parts of Los Angeles is much greater, so you need a much heavier criminal justice intervention.” Does that include Santa Monica? “No, I do not think we need a bigger criminal-justice intervention in Santa Monica. I think the police here are doing a good job. My conversations with Chief James Butts indicates clearly the Santa Monica Police Department has some progressive things going on. What Santa Monica needs are the appropriate social services and continued community involvement.” Why are some programs ineffective? “It’s a difficult topic, but people often want to go with their gut, what sounds like a good idea, without it being evaluated to see what works. It ends up wasting resources. A lot times programs are passed through the grapevine, without even a scientific study. A lot of times the programs in place are simply marketed programs without ever being evaluated. People’s hearts are in the right place, but sometimes programs do not get implemented effectively. They do not target the right people. They lack a scientific model that measures effectiveness objectively.” What about gang violence programs? “The key with gang violence is to find programs that make the most sense. Programs do not need to be taken away, but they may need to be modified. New programs are like a corporation in that they always have huge start-up costs that have to be considered.” What did you think of the gang workshop? “The thing that impressed me most was the turnout. Often times at meetings like that you have a few of the elderly attending, or a few active individuals in the community. But with the 400-plus people who were there, it shows there is a lot of positive energy in Santa Monica.” What are your thoughts on the double homicide last week? “Tragic.” What can you say about Santa Monica’s future? “The level of poverty and social disorder in Santa Monica is not on a level that is not intractable.” What’s it going to take to help the crime problem? “I think it is important for people to know that city government is not going to solve the violent crime problem. The key is for people to stay engaged, to not blow off the issue after the initial excitement. Staying positively engaged is not just a way to keep the politicians engaged, but it is also the way for people to shape their future.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/031405-01_02.jpg) The first person to identify where this photo was taken will win a gift certificate to Izzy’s Deli. (Photo: John Wood/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 14, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/031405.pdf?ref=smdp.com)