The City of Los Angeles has seen its crime rate decrease each year for the last ten years, earning it the title of America's Safest Big City, something that Mayor Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief Beck attribute to LA's commitment to community policing. One of the best examples of the power of community policing takes place in the San Fernando Valley where the Coalition on Gangs has been active for the

The community of Sun Valley lies at the north end of the San Fernando Valley. Most of the stone, gravel, and sand used in construction in Los Angeles between the 1920s and the 1970s came from quarries in Sun Valley, and although the quarries are mostly closed, many of them have become landfills. As with most areas of Los Angeles, residential development dots the Verdugo Hills around Sun Valley, and

Harbor City is one of many diverse neighborhoods in Los Angeles. According to the 2000 Census, over half the resident population is Latino, with significant African-American and White populations. The area is diverse in other ways as well. Even within the boundaries of Harbor City, the area has several distinct neighborhoods: Green Meadows, Green Meadows SW, Narbonne, Central, Old Towne, PCH, and

Primarily an industrial area known for providing Los Angeles’ first railroad and serving the nearby Port of Los Angeles, Wilmington was annexed to the City of Los Angeles in 1909. Over time, the character and desirability of this Harbor community has been eroded by aesthetic encroachments, leading the residents of the Wilmington Neighborhood to recognize the need to do something about it. In 2004,

Pico-Union is a severely underserved neighborhood in Los Angeles. Pico Union is primarily populated by first-generation Latino immigrants, particularly Mexicans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans, and a number of Korean businesses, priced out of Koreatown, who have also established themselves in the area. Neighborhood residents recognize the need to safeguard the health and well-being of the

For the homeless men on Downtown’s Skid Row, playing basketball is more than just a half-hour distraction from the weight of hunger, violence, and lack of shelter. It is a motivational tool for getting the men of the community to believe in themselves and their power to create something that is all their own. For the last two years, the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council (DLANC) has recognized that

Harbor Gateway is one of the most densely populated areas of the City of Los Angeles. According to the 2000 Census, there were approximately 8,000 people per square mile. The area is home to White, Latino, and African American populations. Unfortunately, racial tensions and gang violence are not strangers to Harbor Gateway. A few years ago, a young girl was killed by a gang simply because she was

Mar Vista is an economically diverse Westside neighborhood of apartment buildings and single-family residences built during the mid-twentieth century. Recently, the community decided to add real 21st century amenities to the neighborhood when it decided to take part in a project whose goal is to bring free high-speed Internet access to all Mar Vista residents and businesses as well as support local