The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion Tuesday seeking to expand funding for youth development programs and gang reduction efforts in the coming fiscal year.
In a 13-0 vote, the council instructed city staff to report back on the Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development’s budget, and provide a detailed account of the non-profits that administer programs under its authority. Council members are asking for details regarding the scope of work, duration and metrics to measure success of each contract.
Council members Traci Park and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote.
The mayor’s office oversees GRYD, which was established in 2007 to address gang violence, and community-based service programs began two years later. “GRYD Zones” were established in 23 areas of the city with gang intervention and prevention services, along with regional juvenile reentry services, community programming and other initiatives.
In particular, council members Monica Rodriguez, Eunisses Hernandez, Tim McOsker and Bob Blumenfield, who introduced the motion, are calling to expand GRYD’s Summer Night Lights program year-round. Each summer, the program provides extended recreational and resource-based programming on certain days between the hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
During these events, the city connects participants with educational and vocational institutions, resources through community-based organizations and county agencies.
“These programs are crucial in the city’s effort to reduce crime in communities that have continued to see a higher than average rate of crime,” the motion reads. “The partnerships and trust these organizations build and cultivate are crucial in the city’s alternative response model.”
In the 2023-24 budget, the city allocated $41.3 million to GRYD, and an additional $6.4 million to the Department of Recreation and Parks to administer the Summer Night Lights program.
“Transparency and accountability in the use of this … allocation is critical and as FY 24/25 budget is upcoming there must be public information provided regarding the administration and the allocation of the GRYD funds,” the motion reads.
The council’s Public Safety Committee previously approved the motion on April 9.
Discussions about GRYD funding likely will take place as part of the 2024-25 budget process. Mayor Karen Bass has until April 22 to release her proposed budget, which will then be revised by the City Council.