I'm Trying To Understand The Gang Problem In LA... (Long Beach: neighborhoods, high school)

[CFrazier0912]

Does the average LA'er(..) see obvious gang-members everyday? Every week? Hardly ever unless they go into certain areas?

I ask because so many people talk about the gang activity in LA, that you start to wonder if the paranoia causes people to exaggerate, or if LA is truly at the mercy of gangs, no matter where you go.

[BluSpark]

This has got the makings of another wonderfully harmonius thread.

I do wonder why someone in a position to hire a personal chef is so concerned about gangs? See your recent post here where you suggested you were in the market for a personal chef.

Personal Chef in LA

My point is simply that if you can afford the type of "hood" that the personal chef crowd lives in, you will not be seeing too many gangbangers.

[CFrazier0912]

Originally Posted by BluSpark

This has got the makings of another wonderfully harmonius thread.

I do wonder why someone in a position to hire a personal chef is so concerned about gangs? See your recent post here where you suggested you were in the market for a personal chef.

Personal Chef in LA

My point is simply that if you can afford the type of "hood" that the personal chef crowd lives in, you will not be seeing too many gangbangers.

Let's say I live in an area with NO gang-bangers...

...do you think I won't ever venture out into other areas? I'm 30 years-old, with a myriad of interest. I seriously doubt I would be able to find all I'd be interested in doing, within a 1 to 5 mile radius of my home.

Now, when you consider all that, I have just as much of reason to be concerned with gangs as anyone else.

[californio sur]

If you drive into East LA or South-central LA you will undoubtedly see gang members [actually any area of the city that is very poor]. Otherwise you likely will not see gang members.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Just drive around until you start seeing things you don't like. Then realize that the border of your kind of place has been met. LOL Funny thing is that the gang problem for the most part feeds on itself. Gang bangers killing other gang bangers or family members that happen to be near by. The average person is not a threat to them and for the most part they are not concerned with Joe and Joeleen Average. These people kill themselves more than anything else. Sure some people have gotten in the way of a bullet that was meant for another person. Can't say that never happened. In my short 40+ years of life I have never had a problem with a gang member. They do their thing and I do mine.

[the one]

the gang elelment is not as prevalent as before. it does exist, but in certain neighborhoods. injunctions and raids and jail has done a good job of reducing [or shifting] the gang population.

[1200RT]

If you put yourself in the position to, you will see people in gangs. If you steer clear of funky areas, you'll be fine.

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

Just drive around until you start seeing things you don't like. Then realize that the border of your kind of place has been met. LOL Funny thing is that the gang problem for the most part feeds on itself. Gang bangers killing other gang bangers or family members that happen to be near by. The average person is not a threat to them and for the most part they are not concerned with Joe and Joeleen Average. These people kill themselves more than anything else. Sure some people have gotten in the way of a bullet that was meant for another person. Can't say that never happened. In my short 40+ years of life I have never had a problem with a gang member. They do their thing and I do mine.

What you write is exactly correct. Gangs are stupid little boys who want to play with guns against each other over things like what neighborhood they live in. In high school the total losers were gang bangers who rarely exceeded any any subject including gym but hung out after school looking for rival gang members that they could fight. Last year a girl in Long Beach was killed in front of her high school after a football game because 2 rival gangs decided to shot at each other and she happened to be in the way. Sadly that happens on occasion and we hear all about it on the news. But generally gang members sit around getting high, selling dope and being lazy while waiting for some excitement. Earlier this summer Venice Beach became a huge gang fight and the police had to close the beach around sunset; just a bunch of stupid punks fighting and hoping their girlfriends were impressed!

[uptown_urbanist]

I doubt that for many people gangs are going to be a real issue. Sure, if you live in or work in a neighborhood with a gang problem, then they will be, and yes, I assume that you will see gang members, even if you don't know that they're gang members. And yes, it's possible that you'll be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that's true of anything and anywhere. LA obviously has a major gang problem, but that doesn't mean that it's any more of an issue for most middle- or upper-middle class people (who can afford to avoid living in neighborhoods with gang problems, and generally don't have the pressures or incentives to get involved) in LA than it is in many other big cities.

[West of Encino]

While I do see gang graffiti, I pay no notice to the gangs even though I know they're in that area. I don't ask questions on where the gangs are hiding or who's a gang member.

I may come across some gang members or people who wear gang colors.

To tell you the truth, gangs are everywhere, even in affluent communities like Venice (Idk if you can call Venice affluent despite it being by the sea surrounded by affluent communities).