Progressive Latino wins first round elections for LA mayor

teeeeeheeheeheeheehehee


...



<sigh>

Kevin Drum notes:

"The LA Times reports that Los Angeles has experienced a huge drop in homicides this year:

The drop comes nine months after Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton vowed to crack down on gangs. But though previous anti-gang campaigns have involved mass arrests and high-profile sweeps, this effort has been more targeted. And in its most radical shift, the LAPD is putting aside decades of suspicion and turning for help to gang intervention workers, many of whom were gang members. ....Overall, Los Angeles has recorded [289] homicides so far this year, with Bratton saying he believes the city will end the year with the lowest number of killings in 37 years (in 1970, there were 394 homicides). Authorities believe the help of gang intervention workers has made a difference, but they acknowledge that they can't fully explain the drop.

Yes, this is the same William Bratton who was fired by Rudy Giuliani for reducing crime in New York City [after which Giuliani then had] the gall to take a share of the credit for it."

tony v. has been investing a lot of time trying to instill a sense of community in angelenos similar to the way most of the people i knew in manhatten, also of varied backgrounds, considered themselves "new yorkers" at the end of the day.

bill bratton has been doing an amazing job. it's a real improvement from the time of ed davis (when i first came here) through gates (ugh..), willie williams (highly touted, didn't perform) and the train wreck that was parks.

drive bys are way, way down even in gang controlled areas and over all we're almost at a point where you can go around without being completely paranoid.

lee baca at the county sherriffs has been an equally positive force following sherman block.

a lot of credit also has to go to parents and others for starting to actually confront the gang issue as something that they can play a big role in.

worst thing i can say about bratton is that it's too bad he didn't "go west" 10 years sooner.

meanwhile, ol' rooty fires bratton and praises kerik. hmmm...

Nods along with DTOM, as an angeleno(a) out of her territory..

next time you're down you can leave the flak jacket and bazooka at home.

nice new picture of paco, btw.