NCJ Number
130373
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1990) Pages: 20-22
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The current status of gang activity in Los Angeles is described together with law enforcement and community preventive measures.
Abstract
Presently more than 450 street gangs with a membership exceeding 36,000 are active in Los Angeles. In addition to perpetrating a wide variety of property crimes, violent crimes by gang members have increased dramatically, particularly against persons not associated with any form of gang activity. The increased violence is attributed to a disregard for human life espoused by the black gangs, use of automatic assault rifles, and a growing narcotics supply. Enforcement measures by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) include the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH), anti-gang crime suppression task forces, the Gang-Related Active Traffickers Suppression (GRATS) program, and targeted prosecution of specific violent gangs under the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act. Prevention programs such as the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program for junior high students and the Jeopardy program have been implemented to provide alternatives to gang activity. Despite LAPD efforts, the gang problem shows minimum signs of abatement. In addition to law enforcement and social agencies' strategies, community involvement is required to solve the problem in gang infested neighborhoods.