In a time of government and corporate downsizing, many are looking to local organizations to bolster community spirit and alleviate problems in society. One group that has been uniquely active in this regard is the LAPD West Valley Division's Jeopardy Program, which was launched this spring.
The Jeopardy Program offered at Birmingham High School is a gang prevention and intervention program for 11- to 17-year-old kids and their parents. Though the local group doesn't quantify its success, it hosted a holiday party last week for the students and families to celebrate their accomplishments.
"The way I look at it, as a policemen, is directing traffic," said Michael Sirota, president of the West Valley Jeopardy Foundation. "We're at the end of the street, and you have a kid come along and the kid is in trouble and he's trying to decide if he should go to gangs, go to crime or go to school. And the police officer directs him in the right direction."
There were more than 23,000 verified violent gang crimes in the city of Los Angeles during the last five years, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. These included 784 homicides and nearly 12,000 felony assaults. The Jeopardy Program is working to help curb those statistics and teach children the importance of a good education.
"If I wouldn't have joined the program I'd probably be on the streets or getting high," said 19-year-old Rafael Manuel, whose last name and those of other participants are withheld here to protect their privacy. "It definitely changed my life a lot."
Rafael Manuel explained how the officers not only helped him academically, but also athletically. The students go to Birmingham High for Jeopardy after school to complete their homework. Afterward, they are able to participate in creative and productive alternatives to life on the streets, such as field trips, drama, arts and crafts or sports. There are officers, tutors and counselors to help the youths with their daily needs.
"They were the first ones to introduce me to sports," he said. "After you finish your homework they take you to play. They taught me football and I was offered a scholarship to Boise State and Oregon to play."
Manuel suffered a knee injury and had to opt out of football, but he is still very optimistic about the future. He has maintained good grades and is aiming to become a broker, he said.
Gloria Fernandez said her son is another success story. She was having a difficult time with her son and decided to enroll him in the program. Fernandez said he developed a positive attitude, a sense of responsibility and now pays for his own college tuition.
"He's trying to become a parole officer now because he wants to help people the way the officers helped him," she said. "He also helps tutor for Jeopardy, and now kids come to him for advice and they listen."
The Jeopardy program, free to participants, is funded through grants. It was originally started by police officers in 1991 and today has more than 20 different programs throughout Southern California.
"These youth programs are imperative in keeping our children focused and it gives them hope that life is worth making the right decisions," said LAPD Officer Mike Noji, who has been involved in the citywide program for about four years. "It's through these programs that the Los Angeles Police Department is able to unite with the community and keep our at-risk youth from choosing a life of crime."
He's talking about kids like 16-year-old Alondra, who admitted she was hanging out with a bad crowd before joining the program.
"I just wanted to fit in, and I was doing things that were getting me into trouble," she said. "[Jeopardy] pushes you to do your homework and it keeps me motivated. It's nice to have someone who cares for you so much. It's helped to open my eyes."
