Come Together, Right Now

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Hardcore Gang Division released a 50-page report this week on the prevention and prosecution of gang-related crimes. The report was meant as a follow-up to a similar endeavor the office took on in 1992 that painted a portrait of gang members, including sociological and psychological factors that contribute to gang culture and behavior. It detailed the "intimate connections between drugs, guns and gangs" and proposed several ways to combat gang violence.

Noting how gangs and their crimes continue to "plague or communities," District Attorney Steve Cooley asked his staff to review the 15-year-old report to see if the findings still apply. They do. What stands out, of course, is the need for more money to fund anti-gang programs for children and teens, as well as tough-on-crime legislation. The one thing that did change is the use of collaborative efforts between different law enforcement agencies, which the report deemed successful.

Included in the report were some interesting statistics, including a Los Angeles map detailing gang crimes in different areas (no surprise that Lawndale and Hawthorne fared worst in the South Bay with 1,001-1,500 gang crimes between 2003 and 2006 and Carson and the Harbor Gateway experienced moderate gang activity with 601-1,000 gang crimes in that same period). 

The entire report can be found here on the District Attorney's Web site.