City of Los Angeles Paid Alleged 18th Street Gang Member $58K as a ‘Peace Ambassador’ |
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Home – California Politics & News – City of Los Angeles Paid Alleged 18th Street Gang Member $58K as a ‘Peace Ambassador’
City of Los Angeles Paid Alleged 18th Street Gang Member $58K as a ‘Peace Ambassador’
A convicted murderer and alleged gang member was being paid by Los Angeles taxpayers to patrol neighborhoods as a “peace ambassador” until federal authorities arrested him Friday morning. Now, city leaders are facing questions about how he got the job in the first place.
Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, aka “Diablo,” was arrested on Friday during a traffic stop for possession of body armor by a violent felon, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
Alvarez was being paid by Los Angeles city tax dollars to patrol as a “peace ambassador,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
A program launched by LA Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, peace ambassadors were meant to be a way “to support Angelenos in moments of crisis” by providing people who are not law enforcement to aid in non-emergency situations, according to Hernandez’s website.
“Each team consists of two unarmed workers who have lived experience in the justice or gang systems and are trained in violence prevention and trauma-informed care,” the website states.
According to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli,........