NCJ Number
168708
Date Published
1993
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video uses scenes of Los Angeles gang neighborhoods, gang life, and police-gang interactions, along with interviews with gang members, police, and community leaders, to provide an overview of what life is like in the gang-infested neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
Abstract
The video presents a picture of neighborhoods at war with one another through the youth gangs that claim the turf where they live. Infringements on turf by other gang members are met with violence and death. Gangs sell drugs to buy guns and survive in a world where significant educational pursuits and jobs are rare. Life in a gang is seen as necessary for survival, even though gang membership carries the threat of death at the hands of rival gang members. Adult residents of gang neighborhoods remain inside their houses out of fear of roaming gangs; and when they witness crimes, they are reluctant to cooperate with police due to the threat of gang retaliation. Police make their presence known in gang neighborhoods. They periodically conduct raids and "patdowns" of youth who are found on the streets at night. Police make an effort to learn the names, family backgrounds, and gang affiliation of all gang members. Police acknowledge, however, that the number of gangs and gang members, along with the crimes they commit, make it impossible for the police to deal effectively with the problem. One police manager stated that the police do not have the resources to solve the gang problem, and politicians apparently do not have the knowledge nor the will to take significant action. The overall conclusion of the video is that gang life is entrenched in the lower income neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and few youth can escape the gang life to pursue a satisfying career and social life in the mainstream of American society.