Councilman Tony Cardenas, despite misgivings by those in Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office, has taken the lead in the City Council on developing anti-gang programs.

But he also has pushed through programs allowing reformed gang members to get off gang injunctions and is now questioning how authorities classify some crimes as gang-related.

"It seems like if a crime happens in a certain ZIP code, it is more likely to be classified as a gang crime," Cardenas said last week after a Public Safety Committee meeting. "If there is a dispute in Pacoima or Sylmar, they might call it gang-related. If the same things happens elsewhere in the city, it's just a dispute.

"My concern is we rate some of these crimes as gang crimes, when they are just disputes," Cardenas said. "And, the report goes in about gang crimes and it alarms the public."

Councilman Greig Smith, who is a reserve police officer, said LAPD officials do not want to inflate the gang crimes.

"I can assure you, no watch commander wants to see an elevation in gang crimes if they can avoid it," Smith said.

Smith, who works in the Foothill Division, volunteered to take Cardenas on a tour of the area.

The two have to set a mutual date on when it can take place.