watts up ! (Los Angeles, Compton, Willowbrook: low income, apartments, leasing)

[BlackSS]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

BlackSS, unfortunately yes, daily, to the first question. I live in Van Nuys. Hispanic and Armenian gangs, gang double homicide this year 3 blocks away, the usual gang-related crimes around here, lots of retaliation. My immediate neighbors around here, and I do like to talk to anyone who speaks English. I participate in Neighborhood Watch, and speak with the police about trends here. No to the second.

LOL, Van Nuys having a gang problem?? Homicides?? Van Nuys is like Disneyland compare to South Central, my home...

[BlackSS]

Originally Posted by big happy

very interesting points ! I have continued some research about american urban life in general and i came across a dvd called Hood 2 Hood, I fear I might be changing the subject slightly but this is a 5 hour documentary about a cameraman that goes to america's worst crime rated areas including compton and another area of LA interviewing real gang members, I feel that if anyone is interested in the topics included in this thread it could be of relevance, as i feel the websites, streetgangs and urban decay are. If anyone has seen this dvd i would welcome there opininions and comment on it! thanks and blackss and fastfilm i hope you are well, peace!! Ps fastfilm could you tell me more about the area you are in and some of the experiences you have plus i would be interested to hear more about your husband's experiences as a teacher

REAL TALK! Yes, I've also watched that documentary and that Compton gang is located in Lynwood, which is the MOB PIRU BLOODS.

[fastfilm]

I'm glad you're checking in with the real stuff here, BlackSS. Readers of this forum should know the span of violence here, relative or not. Some places still list Van Nuys and the S.F. Valley as a nice bedroom community. Instead, it's hodgepodge of better areas towards the Santa Monica mountains, and worse ones everywhere else where people like me, a middle-aged woman is pushed off the sidewalks by rude foreign nationals or idiot gangbangers, who come back to do their dirtier work later at night, who think meanness, in imitation of South Central or just for its own sake, is the way to go. Again, not what you find in such huge expanses of other urban centers across the country, wherein the violence pockets are localized.

[fastfilm]

This seems to be our most active thread on gangs so I put today's (Oct. 19, 2006) newspaper headline and sub-heads here. But of course to me it's not news!

[big happy]

hello to everyone I hope you are well! I have done some reading about chicago and the hope 6 programme where they have knocked or are knocking massive housing projects such as Cabrini Green and Robert Taylor homes down. I was wondering if Los Angeles has any plans for projects such as Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts, Jordan Downs and similar projects? Do you think that it is a good idea and do you think it would really solve any problems? Looking at the above paper article it seems that violence is not exclusive to poorer areas and the level of violence is depressing and truly fightening, I really hope that the situation improves somehow for you. Thanks again and take care.

[big happy]

I found a website, www.knowgangs.com (broken link), it provides pricless information for parents, teachers and guardians such as gang awareness, drug awareness and school safety. I feel that it important information for people living under the threat of crime and could, potentially be a life saver.

[big happy]

yes blackSS, thanks for the article it skows just how bad the situation is there and it also shows that local government dont have or dont want to use funds to improve the situation which makes the problem worse and makes the future look just as bleak. It all looks like a very bad vicious circle. I dont think the website that includes gang awareness will help change the situation much but it cant do any harm. Take care blackSS.

[Blue Grass Fever]

I pity anyone who is in a gang.

L.A. is the cesspool of the basin.

[big happy]

I agree, lets stop the pity and start the help.

I read that some music called banging on wax was done to help with gangs does anyone know much about this and how successful it was?

To the person that sent me the PM could you let me know if you recieved it ok?

To everyone on the forum have a happy and safe new year!

[big happy]

L.A. mayor seeks federal aid to combat gangs
By Megan Garvey and Patrick McGreevy
Times Staff Writers

January 4, 2007

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Wednesday appealed to U.S. Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales for additional funding and prosecutorial help to combat rising gang-related crime, kicking off what officials say will be a yearlong push to tackle one of the region's most intractable problems.

Citywide, gang crime increased 14% in 2006 — the first rise in four years and an uptick that Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William J. Bratton say threatens to overshadow last year's overall 8% drop in serious and violent crime.

"We agreed that Los Angeles is the epicenter of the nation's gang crisis and an effective assault on gang crime will require increased suppression, intervention and prevention measures," Villaraigosa said after his 40-minute meeting with Gonzales in Washington, D.C.

The mayor sought millions of dollars in federal grants to target gangs in trouble spots such as South L.A., parts of the San Fernando Valley and Boyle Heights. He also asked Gonzales for continuing help from the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles in prosecuting gang members for federal crimes and focusing attention on foreign-born gangs such as Mara Salva Trucha, a gang from El Salvador.

In addition, the mayor said he would like the attorney general to provide help in prosecuting gang-related racial crimes.

Bratton met with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca earlier this week to discuss the rise in racially motivated gang violence and map out ways to better coordinate their gang units, particularly where gangs have shown a pattern of targeting victims because of race.

"It's getting to where those rivalries are … racially motivated and innocent people are getting shot," Baca said Wednesday.

There have been numerous anti-gang initiatives over the decades — none doing much to diminish the influence of and damage done by the region's scores of active street gangs.

A recent report by prominent civil rights attorney Connie Rice concluded that Los Angeles' gang efforts, costing $82 million annually, have floundered because of a lack of coordination among the 23 anti-gang programs spread throughout city departments.

"What the city is doing is designed to fail," Rice said Wednesday, again calling for a dramatic change in anti-gang efforts. "It's not about altering a program. It's about a paradigm shift…. We need smart suppression, not blanket suppression."

Support has grown for creating a "gang czar" to coordinate efforts, something sources say Rice is expected to recommend in a follow-up report due out this month. Bratton and others have said they would back such a move.

"It's more than just raiding gangs and gang *****ctions," Councilman Herb Wesson said. "Its about stopping kids before they join gangs."

Los Angeles Police Department officials blamed the jump in gang crime in part on racial tensions in the L.A. County jails, which led to riots last year. They said some of those disputes between Latino and black gangs spilled into neighborhoods.

At the same time, efforts to get gang members off the streets for minor crimes have been hampered by conditions in the county's jail system, the largest in the nation.

While gang *****ctions and computer modeling have helped reduce gang activity in some areas, the early release of inmates from Los Angeles County jails — where officials say the vast majority of those booked admit a gang affiliation — has put many charged with lower level offenses, such as weapons violations or simple assaults, quickly back on the street.

More than 150,000 inmates sentenced to County Jail have been released since mid-2002 after serving small fractions of their sentences due to budget cutbacks and federal orders against overcrowding.

Baca acknowledged that early release probably plays a role in street crime, but called it one of many factors.

The specter of gang violence has shadowed Bratton since his first days as L.A. police chief in fall 2002, when he made a dramatic appeal for the public's help in stemming the bloodshed and crime.

"Get angry," he demanded of city residents after 16 homicides in six days.