COMPTON – A Compton neighborhood is hoping to distance itself from gang ties by posting anti-gang signage along its street.
KABC7 reported Signs for Life, a new community initiative, is dedicated to helping Compton neighborhoods disassociate themselves from gang ties.
Compton Mayor Emma Sharif supports the community’s efforts.
“I believe that unifying a community is one of the best things we can do in this city,” said Sharif.
The Compton Sheriff’s station publishes monthly crime stats that show that crime is still an issue for the city’s roughly 100,000 residents.
Homicides were down 54% under former Sheriff Alex Villanueva with 35 homicides recorded in 2021 and only 16 in 2022.
Violent crime spiked by 8% between 2021 and 2022.
Villanueva lost a contentious reelection to former Long Beach Chief Robert Luna after public disputes with the city’s previous mayor.
Newly elected Luna has made no public efforts to restore the relationship with the Compton community, instead choosing to spend the first weeks in office reconciling with the Board of Supervisors and the department’s inspector general.
None of the local Compton elected officials endorsed Luna for Sheriff.
Community members hope the signs will help squash the victimization of the neighborhood with outside gangs believing Compton gang members still live on the street.
Signs of Life hopes the new signs are a step in the right direction.
1 Comment
Who thought of this? This is the biggest waste of money…. Thinking a sign that says “No Gang Members Live on This Street” will deter any crime let alone gang activity. Who ever in charge don’t know all associations of people living on a street for one and 2 this further puts a black eye with the wrong type of press focused on a sign and letting the world know Compton is full of gangs. If I see this sign resurrected on my street I’m taking it down and trashing it!