Chatting with Trutanich

At last Friday's LA Observed rooftop party at the Formosa in Hollywood, city attorney-elect Carmen Trutanich stuck around for some fairly extended conversations with revelers. Celeste Fremon reports on hers, which focused on anti-gang measures, at Witness LA:

Sure, I thought. Like new gang injunctions, instead of the old gang injunctions. How irritatingly predictable. But that’s not what Trutanich said.

He said he thought one of the keys to lowering gang violence was to offer alternatives to gangs, specifically employment for former gang members. (I am paraphrasing here, as I was taking mental, not written notes.) Therefore, when he went after law-breaking corporations, Trutanich told me, “…instead of fining those companies, I’m going to make them set aside a certain number of jobs for guys who want to get out of gangs.”

Hmmmm. It was an unexpectedly simple and good idea. What was more, it was likely doable.

And that's one more media type who will view Trutanich differently now.

Previously:
Trutanich makes some key appointments

Party reports: Here are the o-fficial photos and video, more pics and observations at Fishbowl LA, a mention at L.A. Daily and some video by Jerry Lazar at Prof. Kobre's Guide to Video Journalism (that's a blog.)