appier-2005-we-re-blocking-youth-s-path-to-crime-the-los-angeles-coordinating-councils-during-the-great-depression

Introduction

• Focus on juvenile delinquency and crime prevention in early 1930s America.

• Civic leaders established groups to counteract the perceived rise in youth crime, particularly blaming teenage boys.

Los Angeles Coordinating Councils (LACC)

• The LACC was the largest and best-known organization dedicated to crime prevention, notably during the Great Depression.

• Pioneered a community approach to crime that emphasized social work and environmental factors over federal crime policies.

• Experienced decreased funding in the 1940s but aimed at creating a safe and meaningful civic life.

Experimental Programs

• Early 1934 Incident: Boxer Bert Colima engaged with local youth in an experimental program aimed at reducing theft around a produce market.

• LACC incorporated popular figures to draw youth into positive activities, like boxing clubs, instead of hanging around areas where they might commit crimes.

Crime Waves and Perceptions

• Media sensationalism depicted crime scares, leading to widespread fear of juvenile delinquency.

• Political figures, including U.S. Attorney General Homer S. Cummings, emphasized a federal 'war on crime,' while local councils focused on community solutions.

Rise of Coordinating Councils

• Over 250 coordinating councils formed in twenty states between 1932 and 1935, emphasizing remedial social conditions aimed at preventing youth from engaging in crime.

• The councils were composed of social workers and community members, promoting civic responsibility.

Social Context

• Economic hardships of the Great Depression contributed to fears regarding youth behaviors and crime.

• Pervasive issues like unemployment intensified the moral panic regarding juvenile delinquency and the condition of urban neighborhoods.

Theories of Crime Causation

• Community Approach: Sociologists believed that social environments influence behavior and that bad conditions lead to delinquency.

• Criticism of the 'born criminal' theory that underlay federal responses to crime, contrasted with local views emphasizing social conditions.

Structural Organization of LACC

• Rapid growth from its establishment in 1932 to a peak of 50,000 members represented a collective push for local crime solutions.

• Development of three key committees within councils: adjustment, environment, and character building to streamline efforts in preventing juvenile delinquency.

Activities of the LACC

• Engaged in various social projects, including recreational activities, community improvements, and educational outreach.

• Established toy libraries, summer camps, and organized competitions to redirect youth energy into positive outlets.

Impact Measurement

• Advocates claimed reductions in juvenile delinquency based on diminishing juvenile court caseloads.

• Adjustments made in community involvement were credited with improved juvenile delinquency statistics.

Decline of Coordinating Councils

• The end of WPA funding in 1941 significantly contributed to the decline of LACC programs, alongside LAPD's withdrawal from collaborative efforts, shifting to a stricter crime-control model.

• By the early 1940s, the LACC faced obstacles maintaining influence amid changing societal dynamics, especially in immigrant neighborhoods.

Conclusion

• Despite their decline, the LACC’s community approach during the Great Depression exemplified an early effort at socially-based crime prevention.

• Understanding this community-focused framework is essential for comprehending historical and contemporary crime prevention strategies.