On Friday, March 31, 2006, the U. S. Conference of Mayors, led by Conference President Long Beach Mayor Beverly O''Neill will join host mayor Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with mayors and police chiefs from around the country, for a national summit on gangs on Friday, March 31, 2006, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

Mayors will also hear from U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales about what cities and suburbs across the country can do to reverse the trend of growing youth violence and stem the growth of gangs in America.

Mayors are particularly concerned about the recent introduction of MS-13 -- composed mostly of Salvadorans and other Central Americans, largely illegal aliens - considered the fastest- growing and most violent street gang in America.

Mayors believe the incorporation of community policing in the fight against gangs is key. Those who have successfully used community policing to address gang intervention and gang violence in their cities will share best practices, and the Conference will release its latest Community Policing Best Practices publication.

The National Summit on Gangs is sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors'' Institute on Community Policing and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

WHO: Long Beach Mayor Beverly O''Neill, President, U.S. Conference of Mayors

Alberto Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney General

Police Chiefs

National Gang Experts

WHAT: National Summit on Gangs

8 am - 3:30pm

WHEN: Friday, March 31, 2006

WHERE: Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Corinthian Room, 506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071; Phone: 213-624-1011

Summit Agenda (Crystal Ballroom):

9 A.M. -- OPENING REMARKS

Presiding: BEVERLY O''NEILL, Mayor of Long Beach, President, The United States Conference of Mayors

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, Mayor of Los Angeles, Host

TOM COCHRAN, Executive Director, The United States Conference of Mayors

CARL PEED, Director, Department of Justice, COPS Office

9:30 A.M. -- ALBERTO R. GONZALES, Attorney General, United States Department of Justice

11 A.M. -- L.A. GANG EXPERT PANEL

Moderator: MAURICE SUH, Deputy Mayor, Mayor's Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety, City of Los Angeles

Panelists: JIM MCDONNELL, Assistant Chief, Los Angeles Police Department

CONSTANCE RICE, Co-Director, Advancement Project Los Angeles

BRUCE RIORDAN, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Central District of California

WILLIAM WOODRUFF, Deputy Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice

12 P.M. -- WORKING LUNCH

BILL LOCKYER, Attorney General of California

1 P.M. -- MAYORS/CHIEFS BEST PRACTICES PRESENTATIONS

Moderator: MICHAEL GUIDO, Mayor of Dearborn, Vice President, The U.S. Conference of Mayors

Panelists: Prevention Efforts, DOUGLAS H. PALMER, Mayor of Trenton, Advisory Board Chair, The U.S. Conference of Mayors

MS-13, HAROLD L. HURTT, Chief, Houston Police Department

Youth Gun Violence, IRMA ANDERSON, Mayor of Richmond

ANTHONY W. BATTS, Chief of Police, City of Long Beach

Gang Intervention, ALAN AUTRY, Mayor of Fresno

2:30 P.M. -- FEDERAL UPDATE

Anti-Gang Resources/Federal Programs Focused on Gangs, DAVID HAGY, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

MS-13/Asset Forfeiture, L.T. CHU, Senior Intelligence Analyst, MS-13 National Gang Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation

COPS Office Resources, TAWANA WAUGH, Senior Public Liaison Specialist, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice

3:15 P.M. -- CLOSING REMARKS

BEVERLY O''NEILL, Mayor of Long Beach, President, The United States Conference of Mayors.