VNNC Outreach Committe Chair Maria Skelton posing with 2 children in the neighborhood
Summer Night Lights (SNL) is the Mayor’s sponsored gang prevention program. Delano Recreation Center is one of the many city parks that has hosted this successful family fun program for the past 5 years. The Program is Wednesdays through Saturdays from 7:00 – 11:00 pm. Free sports, food and entertainment is only a few of the activities offered during the summer. Come out and enjoy the SNL activities with safety.
As a violence-reduction program, Summer Night Lights targets one of the seasons of greatest need and those locations historically impacted by such violence (evidence shows increased gang-related violence during summer months.)
Summer Night Lights (“SNL”) operates at 32 locations across the City of Los Angeles, keeping recreation centers & parks open between the hours of 7 pm – 11 pm throughout the summer months. SNL expands the menu of activities at each site beyond what is traditionally offered.
The “Summer Night Lights” program has three (3) major components:
1. Extended Hours & Programming: From July 8 – September 5, sixteen recreation facilities will extend their hours until midnight, four nights a week (Wednesday – Saturday) and expand programming to include youth-centered recreational, educational and artistic activities to engage youth in positive activities during peak times for violence. Youth will conduct outreach from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and programming at the park will begin at 7 p.m. and go until 12 midnight.
2. Youth Squad: 10 community youth coordinators will be hired to create and staff the extended hours and programs. Community coordinators will be at-risk youth, ages 17-20, and will receive stipends for the duration of the program. Training for the Youth Squad will start two weeks prior to the kick-off. (Members of the advisory group will refer youth for these positions and will also assist with the selection process. Youth will then be interviewed and LAPD will also be part of the screening process prior to hiring.)
3. Cease-Fire: Interventionists will help maintain cease-fires on site and in the surrounding community. They will assist in referring youth and in collaboration with recreation and parks staff, will assist in overseeing community coordinators and participate in the expanded programming.
| # of Sites | Site Visits | Violence Reduction 6/26/2013 – 8/10/2013, Wednesdays-Saturdays | Violence Reduction 8/16/2013 – 9/6/13, Fridays-Saturdays |
| 32 sites | 848,796 visits made to all 32 SNL sites | 34.4% reduction in gang-related part 1 crimes for all SNL locations combined. 9.1% reduction in gang-related homicides. 42.8% reduction in shots fired. 39.7% reduction in victims shot. 33.8% reduction in aggravated assaults. |
73.1% reduction in gang-related part 1 crimes for all SNL locations combined. 100% reduction in homicides. 87.5% reduction in shots fired. 85.7% reduction in victims shot. 83.3% reduction in aggravated assaults. |
| Meals Served | Programming Highlights | Programming Highlights | Job Creation |
| 530,497 total meals served | 662 participants received free HIV/STD testing | 3,918 participants attended Zumba clinics at the 32 sites 16,785 participants in an SNL art workshop |
1,097 summer jobs created 352 at-risk youth hired and provided on-going training |
Flyers for SNL: SNL-2014-Flyer-English SNL-2014-Flyer-Spanish