Are you aware that the San Fernando Valley is facing an increase in crimes? For the past three years.

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY – Somos Familia Valle director and community organizer, Ronnie Veliz, released the following statement regarding the increase in robberies and homicides in the San Fernando Valley:

"Do not allow for increase in crimes to be an excuse for more funding for cops or jails. What we need is more funding for mental health, counseling, conflict resolutions initiatives, healthy relationships programs, comprehensive body positive sexual health projects, paid internships for young workers, community-school arts collaborations, more youth-led park events where our families actually live, child abuse prevention community gatherings, a year-round 24/7 shelter with wrap-around services, affordable housing, and so much more centered on funding preventative care, multicultural empowerment, and transformative justice. We no longer need more lobbying or more funding for police, militarism, and human cages. Look at our history, more police and more prisons have not worked out and will not uplift our humanity.

Our communities are realizing that some elected officials move faster with developers than with their most vulnerable constituents. They are making deals with the millionaires from other zip codes, but not really here empowering and prioritizing the working-class people from the Valley. We are sick and tired of being ignored, gentrification, and elitism. What we need is urgent action because crime, homelessness, and gang injunctions are not a new phenomenon.

Our Valley deserves real leadership, leaders who put our communities first."