Alex Alonso for StreetGangs.com
February 8, 2007

On February 7, 2007, 790 KABC host Kevin James in Los Angeles said that there is an “extreme surge in gang violence because the mayor is involved.” Without offering any evidence, data, or expert view, Mr James makes this statement is completely untrue, and James has what I call a borderline hate for the mayor therefore his statements are completely biased. His statement was so crudely formulated that there are two lies within it.

First, there is no gang surge in Los Angeles in 2006 or in the first part of 2007. Media reports have stated that there has been a 14 percent rise in gang crime city wide, and that there was a 40% increase in one neighborhood in the valley (West Valley – Canoga Oak area). The 14 percent rise in 2006 was measured from the previous year that had a an already very low rate in gang-related crime. Additionally the 40 percent increase in the valley was confined to such a small area and a small number of crimes that the increase was rather trivial. If there were 20 crimes in that area in 2005 and it increase to 28 crimes the following year that would equate to a 40 percent increase in that area. Those numbers are statistically insignificant.

Secondly, if there was increase in gang-related crime, how do you blame Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa? This gang problem is decades old, and the majority of the gang-related crime occurs in the black community among Crips and Bloods, and the crime they commit has nothing to do with what the Mayor has done during the last 3 years, when gang-related crime is actually down. Stop lying to your radio audience Mr. James, do your research and homework and most importantly be responsible and know what you are talking about before you open your mouth.

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