IRVINE : Task Force Aimed at Juvenile Crime

A task force created to investigate juvenile criminal activity and other issues was created by the City Council and the Irvine Unified School District board Wednesday night.

The task force will seek solutions regarding the recent upswing of gang activity, recommend whether off-campus lunch should be continued and look into open-enrollment policies and security measures at local high schools.

Another concern was the announcement that this year there will be 14 expulsions from the school district.

Before 1992, there had been two expulsions in the history of the school district, which dates back to 1971.

Margie Wakeham, school board president, said the number of expulsions is alarming and requires further study.

More than 70 parents attended the joint session, which was a historic event for the city of Irvine.

“It was the first time that both the school board and the City Council had joined in a meeting since the city first incorporated in 1971,” said City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr.

The meeting was organized after a shooting occurred across the street from a high school during lunch in November.

District Supt. David E. Brown said forming a task force is the first step needed to combat crime in the district and surrounding areas.

“We need a task force to see if we are doing everything that has to be done involving security,” Brown said.

Councilwoman Christina L. Shea said the meeting was needed to allow people to share their views on the upsurge in crime.

“People need to express their concerns,” Shea said. “They have every right to know what is happening and express their views.”

Shea also said the open-campus lunch policy for high school students in the school district is a major concern of hers.

“I don’t want all of the students wandering around Irvine or outside of the city during lunch,” Shea said. “Perhaps only seniors should have off-campus lunch.”

Shea, who has a 14-year-old daughter attending high school in Irvine, said she felt compelled to look into the off-campus policy after the shooting.

“My daughter told me she had just left the area two minutes before the shooting began,” Shea said.

On Nov. 19, two people were shot and injured during lunchtime at a pizza parlor frequented by high school students. Shots were fired, and one of the two people injured was a student attending Self High School. The injuries were minor.

Police said the shooting was gang-related. There are five suspects in custody, said Lt. Vic Thies of the Irvine Police Department.

Mayor Michael Ward said the city previously had a spotless record in terms of gang shootings and that he was intent on solving the problem.

“It’s always been known as a safe city, and we want to keep it that way,” Ward said.