Thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning. As a deputy district attorney and gang prosecutor for the County of Los Angeles, I have learned about the tragedies of gang violence and the havoc it imposes on the communities we serve. The problems are indelibly imprinted as the unfortunate result of the deaths of four witnesses in cases I prosecuted. I hope to provide you with a glimpse of the hard realities we face as we challenge the stronghold that gangs have on some of our communities. Gangs are empowered by their threats and intimidation.
Gangs exercise control over their neighborhoods by fear.
Fear and intimidation are the foundation of gang dominance in our communities. Fear enables the gang to control by force and threat, and our responsive fears lead many who might otherwise cooperate to hide their knowledge and choose silence over participation in the justice system. Witnesses face the unenviable choice of protecting themselves by remaining silent, or doing the right thing and stepping forward. The costs can be unimaginable. Far too often, witnesses themselves become victims of the reign of terror which gangs perpetrate through acts of violence and intimidation.