By Mary O’KEEFE

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recently announced a “reorganization” of the division previously known as the Hard Core Gang Division. The new title is the Community Violence Reduction Division and takes a community approach of fighting gang violence.

“This unit will address violence and will look at partnering with the community,” said Alex Bastian, special advisor for Gascón’s office.

This new approach is an effort to serve as a bridge between prosecutors, law enforcement, LA County offices and community-based organizations, Bastian added.

“By embedding our prosecutors in the communities that we serve we will be able to get better results reducing and preventing crime by working with all of our community, County and law enforcement partners,” Gascón stated in a release.

The approach will first be piloted at the 77th, Newton and Foothill Los Angeles Police Dept. stations.

The foundation of this approach is to reduce violence.

“This is not just an issue that involves law enforcement,” Bastian said. “Working with other partners [like] Public Health and other County partners can help reduce violence.”

“The office’s new Community Violence Reduction Division will be [composed] of experienced prosecutors who will collaborate with Los Angeles Police Dept. in some of the most challenged areas. Prosecutors will investigate and prosecute the most troubling incidents of street violence. The Division also will seek to proactively prevent crime by working with community-based organizations and with County partners that deal with victim services, public health and violence prevention,” according to the LADA office release.

“The goal of these efforts is to treat community violence through a collaborative public health approach,” Gascón stated. “We hope to end the cycle of generational violence and prevent victims from being repeatedly traumatized.”

In addition, Gascón has shifted resources to establish a Community Violence Prosecution Coordinator Program that will serve each of the County’s branch courts and central trial offices.

There has been criticism about this reorganization, or dismantling, of the Hard Core Gang Unit.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva responded to Gascón’s new approach via his Twitter account stating, “While gang members are busy driving up LA County’s homicide rate, DA Gascón is now dismantling the Hardcore Gang Unit that works in collaboration with local law enforcement. This can only serve to add gasoline to a raging fire of gang violence that threatens the safety of all. This is not reform; it’s beginning to look more and more like a suicide pact.”