Crime in Los Angeles

be easily recognizable. Even though gang activity has been decreasing compared to the 1990s American crack epidemic when there was an influx of crack cocaine use in major cities across America, which resulted in an increase in crime, violence and a backlash on tough on crime policies. Violence is still prevalent among inner city neighborhoods due to street gangs fighting for control of the territory. This has become a violent turf war between not only rival gangs but also community members…

san Diego wrote an article stating that police are left to rely on how a person looks, where they live and who they know in determining whether or not to label them actual gang members, not taking into account whether the person has even committed a crime. (United against police…

One of the more popular programs is known as the Scared Straight program. This is a program designed for children ages 14-19 who have been arrested for minor crimes such as public intoxication and petty theft. In addition to those crimes, many of the children are also affiliated with gangs. The children are accepted into the program in lieu of jail time or probation sentences. The program shows the children experiencing what real jail situations…

In the memoir “Always Running”, the author Luis J. Rodriguez writes about his life growing up in East Los Angeles and confronts several difficult situations. I don’t blame Luis for making these decisions and Rodriguez shouldn’t be held responsible for the actions he made throughout his youth because he didn’t have a choice in what he did since he was in a gang, the environment he grew up and he wasn’t offered a good education. Personally, I don't blame Luis for making these difficult decisions…

Published in 1993, “Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member,” is a memoir written by Sanyika Shakur. Set in East Los Angeles during the late 70s, 80’s and early 90s, Shakur’s book illustrates the overwhelming amount of violence that occurs due to conflicts between rivalry gangs. As mentioned in the book, the majority of the conflict is not between the Crips and the Bloods but instead between Crips and other Crips. The book offers a unique difference from most other books about gang…

break up a fight when a man open fired upon him. Pete Cordero, 35, was shot in an apartment and was eventually found dead behind the wheel of his car. All these, and many others, are believed to be gang related, all occurring just last month in Los Angeles alone. Over 2,000 people die each year from gang related homicides and over 4 times that are affiliated with gangs. Something clearly needs to be done. The harm from gangs in America affects all people who find themselves surrounded by the…

coast had gang units to monitor the immigrant gangs who got together to protect their neighborhoods and to gather for social reasons. Gangs as most people think of them today were probably first recognized by the public with the inception of the Los Angeles gangs in the early seventies. Why do kids join gangs? The stereotype that comes to many people’s minds is that kids who join gangs come from single-parent homes. They likely live with their mother, who has to go out and make a living for…

Boyz N the Hood is a movie which was released in 1991 and is about teens growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles. Reva, the mother of Tre Styles, sends Tre to live with his father because of some trouble he got into at school. Reva wanted Tre’s father, Furious Styles, to teach him about life and being a man in hopes to protect her son from the streets. While growing up living with his father Tre reunites with his friends “Doughboy”, Ricky, and Chris. Doughboy is in a gang called the…

accepted by the people, it’s important to understand that tattoos show expression of self worth. From the article Fighting Gangs, it revealed various reasons on how gang member identified themselves with what they wear, their tattoos, the crimes they commit, etc. Three quotes from those identified various tattoo related references: “And gangs are…

emphasize rebellion and thrill-seeking, and thus the drug gangs can recruit through culture to turn an illegal activity into a socially appealing activity for youth. The placement of the youth gangs in the drug trafficking hierarchy of organized crime reflects their youth and corresponding lack of experience. As Bailey notes, the youth gangs involved in drug-trafficking serve at the neighborhood level of operations, the gamma groups, reflecting the relative inexperience of youth gang leaders…