Blanca Martinez-Navarro, Gang Reduction Staffer For Mayor Villaragosa, Arrested At Conga Room For Allegedly Attacking LAPD Cop

Cute24

I also had the pleasure of working with Blanca and in my experience she was a great supervisor. Although, we did had some challenges with the program she was new and adjusting to a new role. However, in my opinion she was a great leader, very flexible, provided great and positive feedback and was truly passionate about the community in which we served.

This incident doesn't at all highlight the person in which I worked under & I think she just made a mistake like most human beings do. However, knowing her I know she's a great candidate for working with gang enriched youth as she is passionate and has a true understanding about this population.

Vincent

So what happened to her, is she back at work?

Robert

Hey Roger, we've all done dumb things back when we were teens or even college students. NOT when you're working for the Mayor, getting drunk off your ass, having a fight in public with your husband then deciding to assault a police officer and start slapping and jumping on his back. No Roger, grown, adult, mature people don't behave this way. Ghetto, low life, no class, uneducated thugs like the ones Blanca worked with behave this way. She just proved she belongs on the otherside with the gangsters. Dumb ass Mayor saying "let's not jump to conclusions." Typical lame brain, he rushed to judgement all the time against our officers but one of his idiot staffers screws up and embarrasses him and he has the audacity to speak out for her. All I know is everyone is saying the City Attorney better file on her

Ldanny97

It is incredible to hear someone like robert talk about ignorance, when his statement is not but…I hear your frustration robert, and it’s warranted. But when you dig a pit throwing an entire group of people in it, sorry…that’s ignorant. The sad part, it reflects how unaware you are, and so unfamiliar with the city you reside in. I was born and rise in the housing projects, and yes, I hang with the knuckleheads. Robert, it was individual like you that made it difficult for me to redirect my life. You see Robert, when your rise in a community where you have to chose between a life of crime or poverty, the end result is not good. I thank all the incredible people that believe in themselves to invest in me. I don’t aspect you to understand, this work is for the brave, and courageous men of this great City. Yes, GRYD has split ends, but the body of work is exciting, and innovated.

I believe that the GRYD program is paving the way, and opening up doors for high-risk youth. Why are kids so out of control, robert is you best guess cause there ignorant…wow, whatever happened to pulling up your sleeves, and getting in it?

Roger

Hey y'all...take a look at this program Blanca was involved in...Blanca managed the whole 2009 SNL (Summer Night Lights) program at Roybal. I was one of the percussion teachers.

http://www.sambaduro.com/

And let me say this: I was born in L.A.,and I've watched the police & the city government trying to deal with gangs for decades...it's a real problem, right? Well, this mayor, and this program, are actually driving down crime rates in the worst neighborhoods in the city! Isn't that a good thing? All you haters making uninformed comments on this page? Are you just internet-ranters? Have you actually ever DONE anything about gang violence but talk about it?

Roger

I don't work for the city, but I was part of a contracted teaching group hired by the Dept of Cultural Affairs (we taught percussion and dance) as part of the Summer Night Lights program. It wasn't perfect, but I was really impressed with the concept. I give the mayor a lot of credit for the initiative and the out-of-the-box thinking. It was actually a partnership with the police department, a joint effort to drive down gang crime in the toughest neighborhoods in the city. Blanca was the onsite manager, and she worked closely with all the police involved, and they had a great working relationship...hey, I've done dumb things when I was drunk, haven't you?

hb78

This is such ghetto bull$$$$ at it's finest. So ridiculous.

Roger

These are unfortunate, ignorant—and even racist—comments. Imejia may have grounds to comment, but given his or her last sentence, obviously there was some bad blood there. The mayor has a complicated past, and that's one of the things I like most about him...it's a real American story to change who you are and rise up to do great things. We should honor that. As for Blanca, I had a chance to work with her during the summer of 2009, when she ran the Summer Night Lights program at Roybal Learning Center. She's a wonderful, compassionate person and a dynamic leader. Her husband often came by and volunteered with the at-risk youth...he's a great guy. From my professional and personal experience with Blanca, I'd say she is exactly the kind of person we want to help reduce gang violence in L.A. Anybody can make a misstep...this seems to be the kind of overblown incident that romantic comedies are made from...imagine: husband and wife have a public argument, it gets loud, police come, and for whatever reason, a scuffle ensues. The cops subdue the husband, and the wife, who was just arguing with him, jumps on the cop's back to defend her husband. It's a movie!

hb78

She's a wonderful, compassionate person and a dynamic leader but get few drinks in her down at the club and moooooove bit@#, get out the wayyyyyy. Throwin' bos all over the place.

Not PC

Let's ask the police officer how humorous he found the ghetto hoe jumping on his back. Too bad the officer didn't give her a face full of pepper spray or zapped her with the stun gun.

Now that would have been some comedy!

Arachnidaphile

Common Roger, you work out of the Mayor's Propaganda . . er . . Press office. Spin baby spin!

Grimjack3299

Nice pr spin, no dice. This woman done f-d up and you are trying to spin this as a misunderstanding. Having worked as club security I know that if cops are involved you are having more than a heated discussion.

Imejia

I did my undergrad internship under Blancas supervision and the Youth Enrichment Program was a big mess- donations were "lost" and she really didn't know what she was doing- she gives us Real Social Workers a bad rep- practice what u preach ghetto bitch!

Gracie_318

Imelda Mejia- I too had the privilege of working with Blanca and she was a great, HONEST and dedicated person to the youth. The program was free of charge and never asked youths/families for "donations." Clearly you had a personal issue with her which is probably a reflection of your inefficiencies and lack of professionalism as an intern. As for you coining yourself a " REAL SOCIAL WORKER"...given your comments, you are FAR from a professional social worker.

Lewisjoan

She is on PAID administrative leave. Law breakers always support law breakers.

Joe_public

You can take the Spic out of the barrio, but you can't take the barrio out of the Spic.

Robert

What do you expect when we have a "Gangster Mayor" running this city. He supports the gangsters. Word throughout the city is everyone is happy the negative spotlight is on his Gang Reduction Office which many of us think is a sham. Gangsters don't change their spots and City Controller's audit of them couldn't find not one success story but the Mayor still give them $26 million. At least 7 of the gangsters running the gang programs have been arrested on felonies.