[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 63 (Friday, May 13, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E968]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO KEVIN GANO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GRACE F. NAPOLITANO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2005

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute 
to Kevin Gano, who recently retired after more than 30 years of 
distinguished public service. His innovative approach to law 
enforcement has had a tremendous positive impact on the safety and gang 
presence in my hometown of Norwalk, California, for more than a decade 
and a half.
  Kevin Gano entered the justice arena in 1973. Over the course of that 
decade in the California cities of West Covina and La Verne, he held a 
variety of positions as a uniformed officer ranging from patrol officer 
to major crimes investigator to field sergeant and watch commander. In 
1987, he served as senior administrative assistant to the City Manager 
in Upland, California.
  In 1989, Kevin was named Norwalk's first director of the Department 
of Public Safety. He immediately began working to combat a gang warfare 
problem that had gotten so bad that area schools had taken to 
conducting drive-by shooting drills during which students would 
practice taking cover under their desks. He introduced the ``Silver 
Bullet,'' an RV that was deployed to at-risk communities to establish a 
visible police presence in the areas of suspected gang or drug 
activity. He worked to hold parents of gang members responsible for the 
children's actions. He targeted taggers--gang members who sprayed 
graffiti around the community. He led the way as the first leaders in 
the area to push for a gang injunction that imposed curfews for gang 
members, prohibited them from communing together in public and carrying 
items that could be used as weapons. The measure imposed fines and jail 
time for offenders. He did all this knowing that he could eventually 
become a target of the gang members, and he was. In July 1994, one gang 
painted ``Gano 187'' on an alley wall, a reference to state's penal 
code for homicide.
  His methods were so extraordinarily successful that in 1995, the FBI 
named Norwalk one of the 25 safest communities in the country, an honor 
it would receive for the next three years. Kevin was not complacent, 
even after crime, graffiti and truancy statistics fell dramatically in 
the city. He remained committed to combating the root of the problem. 
In 1995, he helped establish the Public Safety Cadet Youth Program that 
is still in place today. The program is aimed at giving youngsters 
leadership and problem-solving skills and a sense of responsibility 
while increasing their self-esteem through positive social interaction.
  Kevin's public role was not limited to his work for the city. The Los 
Angeles County Board of Supervisors not only appointed him a 
commissioner and vice chair for the California Department of Children 
and Families but took portions of his program and implemented it in 
other areas around the State. California's governor appointed him to 
serve on the Metropolitan State Hospital Advisory Committee. And the 
State Department of Juvenile Justice tapped Kevin as an advisor on 
youth crime prevention and intervention strategies. His expertise in 
this area was so well recognized that he was called upon to write two 
bills that have since become State law. I am proud to say that I 
authored one of those bills, which have subpoena power to school 
truancy boards.
  But it is Kevin's personal and behind-the-scenes approach that makes 
him more than a public servant. On an annual basis, he has unofficially 
adopted numerous Norwalk children and their families by providing them 
with basic essentials and resources they need to make it through their 
daily lives. He has always been willing to lend a hand and spend hours 
off the clock counseling or advising youngsters and parents alike.
  Kevin stepped down from his position on April 15, 2005. The impact of 
his work will continue to endure in the city. You can see it just by 
walking around, an activity that was risky in sections of the city when 
he came to Norwalk 16 years ago. His legacy also manifests itself in 
the lives of children who are not only staying alive and away from 
gangs but making a positive impact on society. Not surprisingly, two of 
the children who have emulated his commitment to public service are his 
own: his son Kevin is a police officer in the City of Buena Park and 
his daughter Jeannette is a Recreation Supervisor with the City of 
Claremont. After 30 years dedicated to making his community safer, I 
know Kevin will enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with them and 
his wife of 34 years, Darlene. As a friend and a resident of Norwalk 
for more than 40 years, I thank him on behalf of my 38th Congressional 
District for all he has done to improve the lives of our community.

                          ____________________