Nothing stops a bullet like a job

In 1992 riots sparked by the acquittal of four white police officers for the beating of Rodney King shook Los Angeles, then known as the gang capital of the United States. The violent outbreak spurred Jesuit priest Father Greg Boyle to start what became the Homeboy Industries, a job referral center and economic development program for youths affected by gang violence, under the motto "Nothing stops a bullet like a job".

To the Homeboy Industries flock a thousand at-risk and gang involved youths a month, bearing the tattoos of the panoply of Los Angeles' 500 gangs.  Much has changed in the last 15 years, homicide rates have been halved from a thousand gang related killings in 1992, down to 460 in 2005. The Homeboy Industries, located at Boyle Heights, has grown, with 5 new businesses among them the Homeboy Silkscreen and Homeboy Maintenance, and offering important services such as its coveted laser tattoo removal service, free, no questions asked, helping locals beat the odds at the job market.

According to Father Greg Boyle or G-Dog as he was nicknamed by the homies, the solution is in addressing their very need for belonging: "the community is the fullest, truest, antidote for gangs". When asked about legalizing gangs Father Greg was pointed: "Would you legalize the Ku Klux Klan?"

Speaking to Comunidad Segura, Father Boyle stressed  the importance of dissociating oneself from gangs, of a loving, caring adult in the lives of teens. Gangs are a symptom, he said, we need to go where they take us.

Do you see the problem of youths involved in armed violence/gang violence as one that has peaked, or one that is growing? How concerned should we be?

 
Some people might say it is getting worse elsewhere but here in Los Angeles gang violence has taken a downturn. We had a thousand gang related homicides in 1992 at its peak, down to 460 in 2005, we re at half that now.

This was the gang capital of the world, things are changing because the gang problem was the focus of a comprehensive approach, one that involved not just the police but enlisting other efforts such as after-school programs, community education, faith leaders, the business community, for example.

 
The Homeboy Industries is the result of accumulated experience and dedication to at-risk youth. How far back does your work with at-risk youth and gangs go?

 
I've been involved for 20 years  I was pastor of the poorest parish of the city, (the Dolores Mission Church) it was the site of eight gangs, one half at war with the other half.. That is how I got involved; I just started to get out there, to walk in the housing projects, to know the members of the community personally.

 
Does the Homeboy industries benefit from help from the government?

 
Support for HI comes largely from private corporations, from individuals and from foundations, but its not really government centric, they are not the leaders on this one, I say that if the community leads the government will follow.

 
One problem with at-risk or gang-involved youth is that they live for the present and do not usually think of the future. Do you agree, is it a considerable hurdle?

 
That is perfectly true, that is exactly what we are up against. In essence, how do you infuse hope? With employment, with a lot of things. The presence of a loving, caring adult who pays attention is vital for young people in this predicament. Employment is something that gives you a reason to get up in the morning  our work is in many ways trying to supply a sense of hope in the affected communities.

How does Homeboy industries help at-risk youths?

At the Homeboy Industries we both help youths find employment, by for example finding and nurturing groups of employers who are willing to give youths an opportunity. We also help them develop their own economic means.  In our case, it took very little time, and we got to see results right away. We subsidize business enterprises in the community, hoping they generate a profit and in turn subsidize us. We help at-risk youths, former gang members, and convicted felons find employment. Since it began, the Homeboy Industries has created a number of local businesses, Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy  Silkscreen,  Homeboy / Homegirl  Merchandise,  Homeboy  Graffiti  Removal, Homeboy Maintenance, and Homeboy Landscaping.

How hard is it for a young person with a background in gangs to get a job?

Former gang members have an especially hard time adjusting to the job market. They have in some cases no experience, need to learn how to get through a job interview, how to react to stress on the job. They may need to work along with people who used to be their enemies   as happens at the HI. Perhaps they have been released from jail, which aggravates the odds against them, with no work ethics and soft skills. We provide counseling and look for support in the community to bridge all of this.

Why the tattoo removal service?

We have a state of the art laser machine and the service is so popular, our waiting list is of a thousand places. We give precedence to those who need to remove visible tattoos for employment purposes. But the fact that our service is free, that no questions are asked, and we expect nothing in exchange like community service for example, makes it very sought after, even though the process can be painful and lengthy.

How do you see the possibility of legalizing gangs? The notion of offering gangs the option of becoming, for example, a club, or a sports association?

 
That is a terrible idea.  We ourselves don't work with gangs, we work with gang members, and no one would do it. Every gang is guided by a single principle, and that is that it has enemy, you take that away and it will no longer make any sense as an entity. Would you try to officialize the Ku Klux clan? It has done too much damage, too much suffering, too much grief is involved. Why would you try to convert the group, there only one thing you can do, that is help a sense of disavowal, otherwise you are doing damage.

The HI has been described as a way to salvage the futures of gang members, would you say the HI has been designed to  rescue  youths from gang violence?

No it is important to recognize that youths are protagonists of their own lives, we act in partnership with them, we would not be rescuers in the purest sense of the word
 

With gang violence taking up so much of the headlines around the world, do you have any parting thoughts?

Gang violence is always an indicator, a symptom, it points away from itself, you are dealing with poverty, despair, unstructured families, we have to go where it leads us.

Read Further:

 The Homeboy Industries website

National Public Radio, in an interview given to Fresh Air (2004), Father Boyle talked about his work and his view of religion and peace.