Hacienda Heights - more ghetto? (West Covina, Baldwin Park: crime, home, neighborhoods)

[Urksher]

I was in Hacienda Heights last weekend and noticed numerous new graffiti splattered all over residential walls. Is there a new gang in town or are these punk kids?

I've also heard crime is rising rapidly in this area.. is this true? Is this linked to the recession, or is there an underlying that should cause worry?

[WestCoastRN]

Hacienda Heights has gone downhill in the past five years. It is not the same area when I was growing up there. Definitely more gang activity from La Puente spreading over to Hacienda heights. The only area of Hacienda Heights that is still nice is where the Hsi Lai Temple is at.

[allenk893]

I don't think you should trust anywhere in LA with the name "Heights" in it.

[jennystone]

Originally Posted by Urksher

I was in Hacienda Heights last weekend and noticed numerous new graffiti splattered all over residential walls. Is there a new gang in town or are these punk kids?

I've also heard crime is rising rapidly in this area.. is this true? Is this linked to the recession, or is there an underlying that should cause worry?

That's interesting. There's very little street gang activity in Hacienda Heights. It's for the most part non-existent or relegated to a few outlying areas. HOWEVER, Asian gang members are known to reside in the area, which has a large Asian population. But Asian gangs work in an entirely different way than latino or black gangs do. For one thing, Asian gang members tend to blend in with the general population, so you really don't know who is or who isn't a gang member just by appearance. Most important though, is that Asian gangs pretty much stick to doing their business within the Asian community. You rarely ever hear of an Asian gang member provoking a non-Asian, that's just not their M.O. That's how they keep things hush hush, so to speak. But these Asian gangs do home invasion robberies, shakedowns, etc. within the Asian community. So yes, crime has risen in the area, but not in the way that you might be thinking.

[Toyota626]

Hacienda Heights, West Covina and Rowland Heights has really deteriorated. In a few years, it will be just like La Puente and Baldwin Park.

[the one]

YA RIGHT!!!!

yall make it seem like if its south central. these places have not deteriorated. they are still pretty nice reas to live in.

i would blame grafitti and vandalism on spoiled and privileged brats from the area with nothing better to do.

they are also the ones that like getting tattoos to look hard. but they stay out in the sticks. those kids dont come out to LA. the real LA. once they come down, some one will check them on their tatts.

poor misguided children of the suburbs...

Originally Posted by Toyota626

Hacienda Heights, West Covina and Rowland Heights has really deteriorated. In a few years, it will be just like La Puente and Baldwin Park.

[nmnita]

We have 2 families right here within a few blcoks of us who have moved from HH to ARk, mostly to escape the problems of living in that part of SGV. This is so sad.

Nita

[graciously]

Originally Posted by jennystone

But Asian gangs work in an entirely different way than latino or black gangs do. For one thing, Asian gang members tend to blend in with the general population, so you really don't know who is or who isn't a gang member just by appearance. Most important though, is that Asian gangs pretty much stick to doing their business within the Asian community. You rarely ever hear of an Asian gang member provoking a non-Asian, that's just not their M.O. That's how they keep things hush hush, so to speak. But these Asian gangs do home invasion robberies, shakedowns, etc. within the Asian community.

Seems pretty right. Saying blacks and latino hard to blend with the general population or society like lifestyle or places from is like another world myself not totally sure about that. Would say that many stand out in or if seen in many places.

[lucyluc]

I love HH! I feel at home there. I like being around Asians...they are respectful,they take care of their yards,they dont have more than 2 kids(usually).It feels safe there.The parks feel safe,they have great Chinese food there and shopping.Also,I never saw a homeless person and I bet thats because Asians wont give money to homeless people(they have this work ethic) so the homeless drift to the other touristy areas or around the beach.

[JohnG72]

The issue is the highly active Latino gangs in La Puente, Vallinda, Basset, and Baldwin Park.

Their issues spill over into Hacienda Heights, West Covina, and other nice Latino family oriented neighborhoods. IMO, San Gabriel Valley east of the 605 is poised to turn into something like SFV with still ok areas like WC and HH becoming more like Valley Glen and the south part of Van Nuys, the upscale areas in NE SGV being a outlying fortress like West Hills and woodland Hills, and Walnut/Rowland Heights/Diamond Bar being an Asian version of Sherman Oaks.