Gang Violence Reduction Project - 4th Evaluation Report, July 1979-June 1980

• NCJ Number: 76123
• Author(s): D M Torres
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 62 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2581-4-78
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; California Office of Criminal Justice Planning
• Corporate Author: California Dept of the Youth Authority
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A program is examined THAT hired youth gang consultants from Los Angeles barrios to serve as representatives for negotiating between-gang incidents and feud mediation and for planning recreation activities.

Abstract

The project had two major objectives for the period under evaluation (July 1, 1979-June 30, 1980). It was to maintain a reduced level of gang-related homicides (four or FEWER among the seven gangs involved), and it was to maintain a reduced level of gang-related violent incidents (not to exceed 36 among the participant gangs). During this time period, 1 homicide and 22 violent incidents occurred. Although the project was effective in reducing intragang rivalries, it had no effect on homicide or violent crime incidence with project gang members as suspects and nonproject gang members as victims. The incidence of homicides with project gang members as suspects and nongang members as victims declined after the project began, but rose sharply during the year being evaluated. The project had no effect on violent interactions between gang members and nongang members. Increases in homicides were attributed to rivalries between project and nonproject gangs in which nongang members became accidental victims, and to arguments or disagreements between gang and nongang members. TO HAVE IMPACT ON INCIDENTS of this nature, the project would have to expand its work to other barrios FUEDING with project-gangs. Graphs and tabular data are included.