Police Hail Weekend With ‘The Hammer’
An extra 200 police officers swept through the heart of Los Angeles Friday night in a weekend crackdown on gang members and their illegal activities.
Officers from five police divisions in East Los Angeles, Mid City and the northeast area hit the streets at 6 p.m., Officer Monique Walker said.
The Friday night sweep and a similar sweep scheduled for tonight were to last until 3 a.m.
Officers from the Newton, Central, Hollenbeck, Northeast and Rampart divisions made up the task force.
The task force, christened “The Hammer” when it was introduced in January, 1988, by Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, was to focus on central neighborhoods where recent statistics showed a 100% increase in gang-related slayings and a general upswing in gang crime, Sgt. Larry Masur said.
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