One Park at a Time

Pacoima residents and Mayor Richard Riordan had good reason to celebrate recent renovations at Hubert H. Humphrey Park, which they did with speeches and high-fives last month. The neighborhood park got a $76,000 renovation, including improved lighting, spruced-up landscaping and a new teen center. But more than that, the community got confirmation that the city is taking its fight against crime seriously.

A rash of gang shootings last fall brought the neighborhood unwanted notoriety. It also brought neighbors together.

When a 9-year-old girl was struck by cross-fire--while inside her own house--and days later a 15-year-old was killed, the community responded with meetings and rallies. Nearly 200 people turned out for a candlelight vigil against violence.

Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla, who represents the northeast San Fernando Valley, called for discouraging gang activity by fast-tracking improvements at Humphrey Park and other city parks in high-crime areas. He lobbied Riordan for help.

Then in December, Helen Johnson, an activist from another neighborhood, made a similar plea about her local park. And the mayor took notice.

Moved by Johnson’s appeal, Riordan promised to clean up her South-Central park within two weeks--and then proceeded to do so. City crews painted over graffiti, installed security lights and planted flowers. Buoyed by that success, the mayor vowed to clean up a city park every two weeks between Jan. 1 and July 1, when term limits force him to vacate his office.

Humphrey Park is the third to be renovated since the mayor made his promise. So in a sense, Pacoima has Johnson to thank. And we all have her to remind us what’s at stake.

Like the Pacoima park, South-Central’s Vermont Square Park was the setting for gang shootings and violence that spilled over into the streets nearby. Johnson’s own daughter, Nikki, was shot in the head in a drive-by last September. Still recovering, she returned home Dec. 15, the day the mayor and South-Central residents celebrated Vermont Square’s renovation.

Sprucing up parks is not by itself going to solve all problems, but it’s a step. If families, kids and sports teams take over parks, gangs have fewer places to hang out.

Reclaiming parks, streets and neighborhoods requires a joint effort by the city and the community. Such an effort is worth celebrating.