EDITORIAL:

When Costa Mesa Mayor Eric Bever publicly offered condolences to the family of a 17-year-old boy killed during a fight last week, it struck us as a decent and classy move. It was especially praiseworthy given that the declaration came across our desks without our prompting.

Police say Javier Paz was killed in what they characterized as a gang-related incident. Scott Santana, 23, was arrested and charged with murder.

“I offer my deepest sympathy to the family in their grief,” Bever said. “The loss of a child is devastating.”

Indeed it is.

The mayor wisely noted that while the attack was of “great concern,” he added that crime is down in the city and then praised the police.

The kind gesture was a far cry from the shameless politicking his predecessor, Allan Mansoor, indulged in after the slaying of one man and the shooting of four others in August 2006.

After that horrific outburst of violence, Mansoor’s response was: “It shows we still have work to do, but it takes time to remove the welcome mat When you have job centers, soup kitchens and a high concentration of downscale rental units, it drives the city down, and I favor a multifaceted approach to include stronger gang enforcement and overlay-zone revitalization, and I also think a social worker holding the hand of a hardened gang member has not worked in other cities.”

Some who favor a get-tough approach to crime might find such full-throated advocacy of that philosophy pleasing, but even they would have to admit it was terrible timing. The first response should always be expressing regret at the tragedy and support for the victim’s loved ones. You can save the politics for later. We’re pleased to see the new mayor gets that.