Office of the City Attorney

CRIME PREVENTION AND YOUTH PROTECTION UNIT

The Crime Prevention and Youth Protection Unit of the City Attorney's Office is made up of a team of professionals with years of prosecutorial and community experience in the area of crime prevention, policy development and community outreach. Crime prevention must be part of the cornerstone of an effective prosecution agency. As prosecutors, our job does not begin or end at the courthouse door.

The City Attorney's Crime Prevention and Youth Protection Unit runs a wide variety of programs - each designed to educate the public and prevent future criminal conduct. These programs focus on youth outreach and child abuse awareness programs and gang prevention programs, elder abuse, teen dating violence, Internet safety training, animal abuse, domestic violence, drunk driving prevention and law enforcement training.

TRAININGS

CYBER SAFETY TRAINING

The Crime Prevention Section conducts ongoing presentations city and county-wide on Internet Safety and Cyber-Crimes. Interactive presentations, based on the Netsmartz model from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, are presented for middle and high school students, community members, Boys and Girls Clubs, After School and recreation programs, parents and school staff and include information on Internet Predators and Megan's Law, cyber bullying and computer safety instruction. Section staff are certified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and are available for presentation of Cyber Safety programs. For information or to schedule a presentation, please contact Monica Barajas at (213) 473-5819.

TRAINING FOR CHILD ABUSE MANDATED REPORTERS

The California Penal Code provides that certain employees of schools, health care organizations and other groups who work with children on a regular basis are Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse. This mandate requires that these employees know the legal requirements and understand the specifics of what needs to be reported and when and how the report should take place. It is the responsibility of this Unit to conduct ongoing training for school, health care, law enforcement and other personnel who are legally mandated reporters of child abuse. The approximately one hour instruction includes laws relating to mandated reporting, how and when to report, what constitutes physical, sexual and emotional child abuse and exploitation and the legal ramifications of a failure to report. For information or to schedule a presentation, please contact Monica Barajas at (213) 473-5819.

IT'S NOT A SECRET - CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE TRAINING

This Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Program was created in partnership with a former LAPD detective from the Sexually Exploited Child Unit, Bill Dworin. This hour-long program is presented to school personnel, parent and community groups and middle and high school age students. It is designed as a guide to preventing child sexual abuse by educating students and adults about sexual abuse and sexual predators, especially on the Internet. When appropriate, City Attorneys work in conjunction with the California Attorney General's Office to provide laptop computers in order to access the Megan's Law website and provide information about convicted sex offenders living in the community. For information or to schedule a presentation, please contact Monica Barajas at (213) 473-5819.

CYBER CRIME TASK FORCE

In partnership with ICAN, the United States Attorney's Office, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI, Department Of Justice, Disney, Fox Films, My Space and the L.A. County Department of Education, the Unit is planning a county-wide Cyber Symposium to educate the community on Cyber Crimes, Internet Safety, Predators, Cyber Bullying and Megan's Law. This unique Symposium will be held on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at the California Endowment for approximately 300 educators, parents and middle school students. This year's goals will be to conduct outreach within the city and county of Los Angeles as well as to find ways to interface with the White House Cyber Czar in the area of Internet Safety for children.

AWARENESS PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN

The Unit has a very successful and important partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that has led to community outreach training and a successful PSA poster campaign. City Attorneys have distributed several hundred of the compelling posters throughout the city and county of Los Angeles since the program began last December. The Unit has many programs and projects in the works, has re-ordered updated posters and this partnership will continue for years to come to the benefit of the children of Los Angeles.

NANNY GUIDELINES

The Unit provides a list of guidelines and resources for parents on how to effectively and safely choose a nanny for their children.  Please click here.