Imagine driving through LA on
your way to work, and each day
hearing on the radio that yet
another kid was slain by gang
violence the previous night,
bringing the annual total to
over 600 - again this year.
Pete Carroll, head football
coach for USC, had his fill of
these statistics and called Lou
Tice saying, "I've got to do
something about this. Can you
help?"
In April 2003, Pete Carroll and
Lou and Diane Tice gathered Los
Angeles' community leaders
together to envision a new level
of peace and prosperity for the
inner city. Thus was born "A
BETTER LA."
Since then, several thousand
adults and youth from local law
enforcement, schools,
corrections and parole,
workforce centers, faith-based
organizations, gang intervention
programs and the community have
completed the 32-hour training
generously contributed by The
Pacific Institute. These
trainings teach skills that
support individual and
collective achievement of
visions, goals and objectives.
The purpose of the course is to
assist participants with their
approaches to problem-solving,
increase their causative power,
and improve their communication
and empathic skills.
The curriculum designed
specifically for youth enables
them to see themselves as
integral, essential,
contributing members of society.
It addresses issues related to
gangs, drugs, self-esteem,
isolation, depression and
suicide, lack of motivation, and
perceived inability to prepare
for the future.
In short, the classes provide a
language of hope. They have
been instrumental in
relationship building among
diverse groups of people,
including historic new
relationships between law
enforcement and gang
intervention workers.
In 2007, Brian Center joined A
Better LA as its Executive
Director. A Better LA then
launched a new initiative to
dramatically reduce violence in
targeted communities. Our goal
is to create a national model
for how to break the senseless
cycle that claims or destroys
thousands of lives every year.
A Better LA’s first step is
granting money to peace squads –
people from the targeted urban
communities who understand and
do not fear those causing the
violence – to mediate and
prevent violence before it
becomes serious and escalates
into a cycle of retaliation and
gang warfare. This helps
lay the foundation for peace and
stability in our communities.
Step two for A Better LA will be
using its expertise to support
research-based programs that
successfully teach individuals
and families to change behavior
and to navigate the day-to-day
problems caused by poverty. A
Better LA will leverage existing
resources to provide activities,
jobs and education to high-risk
kids to shift their attitudes
toward creating positive futures
and re-direct them away from the
bad influences that lead to
violence.
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