A FORUM FOR COMMUNITY ISSUES : In the Neighborhood : Downey: Facing the Challenges of Diversity : An Urban Suburb Struggles With Booming Immigration and Dwindling Tax Resources.

Placid Downey is no Bell Gardens, where a Latino majority last year recalled a primarily Anglo city council. But this one time Anglo suburb next door to Bell Gardens is in the midst of an identity change. Before too long, Latinos, African-Americans and Asians will become the majority.

Downey is trying to absorb its newcomers without losing its family atmosphere. Residents are proud of their Beaver Cleaver reputation.

City government is struggling to provide bilingual education and social services as the tax base shrinks. Sales tax receipts, for instance, have fallen from a robust $10.08 million in 1988-89 to a projected $8.5 million in 1991-92.

The demographics are changing faster in the younger, poorer, more transient area south of Firestone Boulevard. But more and more the whole city is recognizing that it must actively manage change.

Salesman

LARRY SQUIRE. A Downey resident for 37 years.

There’s a big issue with north and north-central Downey seeming to get more focus. South Downey sometimes seems almost ignored. The schools need drastic help. It’s renter-based and Latino-based. Some here ask why the south Downeyites aren’t getting more of the pie.

Realtor

CONNIE SZIEBL. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico.

I’ve lived in Downey since 1977. It used to be a very white town. Now there’s such a diversity here. I wish there were organizations where we could meet the other groups-the Vietnamese, the Koreans, the Cubans. We should mix more. This gives vitality, stability to a city.

Anti-gang Worker

DARRELL JACKSON. Director of Gangs Out of Downey and director of community relations for Bellwood Health Center.

The biggest this is keeping gangs at a minimum. We’re trying to provide a support network here for kids to get out or stay out of gangs. We won’t allow our community to be taken over by criminal activity. So many places you can’t go to the ATM or the stores at night. I feel safe here. If there’s a problem, the police will respond.

We’re trying to focus on keeping crime at a minimum, to live in a place where you can raise children. As a black man, I’m happy to make Downey my home, but I don’t want to make it a racial thing. It’s not like that at all. In a time of crisis, financial or natural, people here will bind together. This sets us apart.

Retiree

DORIS PATTERSON. Past president of the Downey Chamber of Commerce and a resident since 1951.

Downey’s taken some hits, but haven’t we all? Our infrastructure is old. We need to encourage business and can’t afford the luxury of a bedroom community anymore. Proposition 13 pretty well rolled back the taxes so that we as a city have to rely on sales taxes and other means to pay for services.

The diversity of Downey is healthy. If I had my druthers it wouldn’t be Irish-American; it would just be American.

Downey Population, 1990 ANGLO: 50,682 LATINO: 29,569 ASIAN: 2,653 BLACK: 2,876 OTHER: 664 Percent change since 1980 ANGLO: -21% LATINO: 113% ASIAN: 272% BLACK: 177% OTHER: 156% Violent Crime and Theft Incidence (Downey and surrounding communities) Per 1,000 person in 1991 Downey: 50 Bell Gardens: 40 Bellflower: 70 Norwalk: 60 Paramount: 80 Pico Rivera: 50 Santa Fe Springs: 160 U.S. Census Data Programming by Times Analyst MAUREEN LYONS