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Throughout The Ghettos Of Our Country You Will Find Groups Of People: Young, Old, Brown, Black, White, Asian, e.t.c Nearly Everyone In Our Society Frowns Upon These Groups Of People Because These Groups Of People Are Labeled As The Infamous Gangsters That Plague Our Disennfranchised Communities. Even The People From The Same Communities From Which These Gangsters Are Bred See These Beings As "Less Than", Ignorant, Incompetent Beings And Most Media Portrays Them As "Monsters" "Terrorists" & "Problems" Alot Of People Do A Great Job In Dehuminazing These Groups Of People Because Gangsters Are Notoriously Known To Use Intimidation, Violence and Corruption As Means To Get What They Want; Paradoxically, Law Enforcement Officials Are Historically Known To Use The Same Means To Establish And Keep Order In Their Cities. The Difference
Between The Law Enforcement Officials And Gangsters Is That The Law Works To Protect One Group While Working Against The Other. I Think It Is Time We Shift Our Minds From Dehuminazing One Another And Realize That We Are All Brothers And Sisters And We All Have Flaws, Once We Realize This We May Be Able To Unite And Better The Living Conditons In Our Communities And Stop Using Violence As Means Of Empowerment, Whether That Be Psychological Violence, Physical Violence Or Emotional Violence.

well i live in south central myself, and its not that bad. we have are youth in the streets doing what ever they want, and its bad. when are we as leaders in are community going to stop talking about it! an do something about it ! ..

I have no problems with the article itself, but I wish we as a society would not idolize these individuals. The way the article is written, it makes it sound like its okay to be part of a gang because eventually you will grow out of it and become a productive member of society. While that might be the case in a very small percentage of individuals. The truth of the matter is that, the majority of the kids who join a gang will end up in jail or dead. I think its important for our media outlets to put emphasis on that. When I see an old man with gang tattoos, I can't help but wonder how many people he robbed and beat up in his life. Even though he is old now, it is a fact that if you want to be a well respected member of a gang you have to "put in work" or commit crime. So I guess my final point would be to ask you guys (The media). If you are going to make a feel good story of growing up in South L.A. Feature people who grew up there but found a way to never be involved in gangs and are now successful.

And our government wants to let more of these people in my country. And what point when your teenage child comes home with tattoos do you start parenting? Deport them all. We don't need ignorant third world poor, we have enough.

I personally believe that this was an excellent article. Many people that have commented must not have had the misfortune of growing up in poverty, in bad areas, in high crime locations. I am an upper class individual, living the suburban life. I wasn't always though. I was raised on welfare by my great grandmother after my mother had abused and abandoned me. We did not live in a good area and crime was high. Although there is a high crime aspect of gang affiliations, there is a protection and family aspect that is more solid than many of you would ever feel in your life. While families break apart all of the time, many youth that comes from broken and battered homes look for people that care, protect and look after each other. I was one of these and the neighborhood gang never asked me to commit any crimes, nor push me into doing anything I didn't want to do. My conscience is untarnished. But they did protect me, made me feel like part of their family and when I walked home late from my friends houses, if any of them saw me they would walk me home while lecturing me, to make sure I was safe. There will always be people that commit crimes, that are mentally disturbed, or gangs that as a group over exert their boundaries with criminal intent. But not all are like this, and even those that have some criminal tendencies still have a very human element that many people have lacked

I came to the US right before my 13th bday. My mom told me "IF YOU EVER JOIN A GANG, OR SEE YOU HANGING AROUND WITH THEM, FIRST I'LL BEAT YOU UP AND THEN SEND BACK TO THE EL SALVADOR." Let me tell you that she would have done it. Besides I've never had the need to join a gang, I was poor, my mom never got welfare, but taught me the value of hard work. Becerra, is an insensitive man who still believes it's ok to join gangs. I believe that in the beginning they may have been about protection, but now they are all about protecting their criminal enterprises. If he was to go straight and severe all ties to that gang then I would applaud him. But since he is unrepentant, forget him. Hopefully he will see the light right after his son/daughter is born

I do not think that this article in anyway "glorifies" the existence of gangs within certain communities, it simply states the obvious fact that there are people who operate in two different and distinct worlds - the straight life and gang life. What I find amunsing is that ignorance of the folks who post, oh! you are rightgeously offended! you are disgusted!the people that this article talks about are making your food, cutting your grass, fixing your cars, etc. The comments about them not being "American" - I hate to let you all in on this secret..but, by and large they ARE American. Just as American as White Supremacist gang members, Crips and Bloods - give me a friggin break! I would bet dollars to donuts that thier english is infinitely better that thier spanish, that thier ability to communicate is in english...though they probably pepper it with spanglish. Florencia 13 has been around for many, many years and the lifelihood of it going away is as probable and Public Enemy No. 1(white gang) which has been in existence about a third of the time that F-13 has been around. So, rather than blast the LATimes for writing an article that if germane to living in Los Angeles - go hire a white gardner, nanny, mechanic, construction staff...and go broke in the process. As my son would say - would you like some cheese with that whine??

anonymous1966
While my gardener and daycare provider are both in fact Latin, neither is a gang member living a double existence -- A taxpaying employee by day and drug smuggling criminal by night. They are both hard working Americans following the laws of this country. Don't make this an ethnicity issue when it's not...this is about gang members of all colors. This man breaks the law every single time he "counts" another child into his gang (Pah'lease he's in his 40s when is it enough), every time he participates in crimes whether that be directly or indiscreetly and every time he condones what his "homies/familia" do to the citizens of this country in the name of pride and respect. He is a low life and this article most certainly makes him out to be better than his fellow friends because he "works as a foreman on high-end construction sites". He deserves a article about him when he denounces his old life style and makes a new one for his family. As long as he shows loyalty to a bunch of heathens...he's glorifying his life and you are too by accepting it.

Having grown up in East L.A. - in a neigborhood infested with gangs, I'm thankful to my parents for keeping us straight. Never, ever did I have any interest in gangs. They have always disgusted me and continue to do so, 45 years later.

Anyone that partcipates in the initiation of another person into a gang is also responsible for the destruction of their life (i.e. their murder). Unchecked gang recruitment is destroying alot of young lives (mostly Hispanic and Afro-American youth) and the subject of your article is proud of this? The Florencia neighborhood, like so many others in L.A.County needs an active gang prevention program that works to keep kids from ever becoming involved in gang activity. The City of Paramount and the Paramount Unified School District intitiated such a program, called GRIP (Gang Resistance Is Paramount) over 25 years ago and it, together with active law enforcement directed against gang activity has diminished the influence of the gang culture and has greatly lowered gang activity in Paramount. Local government and school districts throughout L.A. County need to work together to educate kids to never become involved in gang actvity. As your article so clearly illustrates giving a gang member a job is not a panacea to the gang problem. We need to counteract the influence of the gang culture and the gangs recruitment efforts by school based gang prevention programs.

I think the Internet is often unfairly blamed for the demise of the American newspaper. A review of the comments for this story offer a more probable explanation -- a rejection of intelligent reportage by newspaper readers. Mr Gold has given us a good piece of journalism that shows how, for many Angelenos, gang membership goes hand-in-hand with the trappings of the American Dream, and the major response is for folks to toss out bigoted and ignorant comments and demand the Times report on some other subject more to their liking. If Angelenos are not willing to support real reportage that reveals uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our city, then Angelenos may soon find ourselves without a newspaper.

Anonymous...I am sorry, you are full of it.

There are plenty of workers, poor people who are good, who are gentle who have no desire to live a criminal life.

In fact this article is a slap in the face to all good people who say no to gangs.

I have a very good Latino friend. He does not have money but he would never commit crime. Because that is who he is. He is nice kind, spiritually developed, mature, gentle. Totally different than the Latinos in this article. I am sure there are many Latinos who are embarrassed and would reject this gang members values.

Dear LA Times, there are tons of us in LA who are working to do something positive. Why are you focused on selfishness? Being in a gang IS selfish, Incredibly so. Let's call it what it is...selfish, immature, violent, and stupid.

Unless you have walked in shoes like Flaco you have no right to critiq. I am a Hispanic Social Work who grew up in LA, now living in Southern Illinois. Although I did not choose that route, my brother who is incarcerated did. His children continue to live in the neighborhood, they have good jobs and own their homes, they are good roles models to their children and continue to have affiliation with their gang. This does not make them a criminal or a horrific person. This is Life to them. This is acceptable to them. Unless you were brought up by a barrio that maintains ties to their gangs don't judge. Just because they are gang memebers does not make them all to be hard core criminals.

I didnt want to comment on this topic because I thought common sense would prevail. what is happening is you have a reporter sharing a factual story about a guy that has managed to get the best of both worlds, the problem with it is: LA Times telling others its okay, the LA Times is promoting it, the loser is initiating new members in broad daylight, and some here would try justify it. Gangs of old that came up as a community activist kind of organization is no longer that, but criminal enterprises that infiltrate every community, and from what I am hearing here and from articles like this, an acceptable number of Hispanic families.

How can you brag about community gangs when they sell drugs in the community, kill other Latino men in the community, go to jail from the community, drop out of shool in the community, extort members of the community, tag in the community, bring the value of homes down in the community, get on welfare in the community, and worse, teach kids to do the same things, and I can go on, but I think you get the picture. Want to be proud, lift your community, not tare it down.

This story is no worse than one that tells the stories of the mafia. Those sociopaths also had daytime jobs that were legitimate. And just because a person has a legitimate job, that in itself does not make you a good person.

What I liked was some of the quotes by the gangsters. True sociopaths in a dysfunctional community, run by politicians that are the problem, not the solution.

For those who take offense at other people judging the gangster life style harshly; well, you are a small minority that live in an abnormal social setting that is opposite to what the majority lives in. We will judge you harshly because we don't want our lives, schools and neighborhoods to become what yours is.

Has anyone looked over the LA Times "Homicide Report"? A raw look at the carnage these gangsters do upon themselves, their families and the public.

These gang tours are wrong. They will make us feel like we are caged animals living for other people's amusement. By looking at all the graffiti and violence, tourists will think we are uncivilized. These tours are only showing the bad parts of our neighborhood. These gang tours might increase violence because some gang members will want to make a name for themselves by attacking the buses.

We can improve this neighborhood by investing more in schools. More jobs with better wages would help out too. We need more programs to help gang members. There should be more youth programs at parks that people can actually afford. This neighborhood would improve if there was an easier and faster path to citizenship.

Great article by LA Times writer. I was so fearful for my son's safety when he was assigned to that park but it is stories like this and the work that he does with and for the kids that makes a mother proud.

This is unbelievable!!! This article really sheds some light of the real problem in dealing with gang violence and violence in general, some people just don't know the real deal when they see it. Way to go Scott. Let me tell you something, I have been involved in gang intervention work for over 20 years. I went through all the programs that were out there, Pat Brown, Amer-I-Can, and one or two others. I learnt some pretty decent stuff and I thought I knew most of all I needed to know. I knew about Aquil because of all his street work with the sets and the rep he has on the streets, the meditations, the resolutions, his peace keeping ground work, the man's a legend in so many communities. I still figured he couldn't teach me much about the street work. One of the homies I got much love for took his class, he started talking about the street work totally different, SOPs, formulas, 4W&H, all this kind of stuff. I said, let me take the class and see what all this jive is all about. I signed up for his class and got in, I couldn't believe all the shot callers he had in the room on orientation. Then he started teaching, he taught me more in that first day than I had learned in twenty years! I say all of this because its known in the hoods that this dude knows what the he's talking about! It's also clear that he comes from the life. I wonder if the City knows what Aquil and his people actually do on the streets? All the people I talked to who have been in that class or who have been trained by Basheer all say the same thing, I never heard or seen this type of information. Another thing is the scenarios, there real and straight from the street, he really makes you think, he puts you under some serious pressure, them things felt real. Look, I normally don't give no Brother this kind of props, but I got to give it up to Basheer, this dude is bad and his training is sick. Lets give him some back-up, he deserves it.

Powerful! This article is right on target. As an interventionsts myself, the real workers usually get very little respect because we're always doing the work! I'm talking about the "real" work, not the people who stand in front of the cameras so they can pick up a paycheck. It's so good to see a homie who is really out on the streets get his props. Basheer has been on these streets for years, never running aways from a situation because it was too hard or too volitle. Whenever asks, he has always stepped in and attempted to bring peace to the situation. This is why so many youngsters in the streets look up to him as a Father, he's for real and they all know it. His Institute has been the only instiute that has brought in double and triple OGs to the table to work in peace. He has also brought law enforcement, fire departments, public defenders, red cross, city attorney's, and a gang interventionists together to work to solve this problem of violence in the communities. Most people don't know but Basheer travels all over the world dealing with gang, violence, and crisis. He was on a special 911 team in New York and also for hurricane Katrina, the brother knows his stuff! Scott you are to be commended for telling the truth and bring "real" to the times, keep it up.

Big P Raheem

ITS ABOUT DANG TIME!FIRST AND FOREMOST I WANT TO THANK GOD FOR PUTTING AN OUTSTANDING GANG INTERVENTIONIST MR.BASHEER INTO OUR GANG RELATED NEIGHBORHOODS TO STOP THE VIOLENCE, GANG RELATED ISSUES, AND THE KILLING IN OUR COMMUNITY. SECONDLY, I WANT TO THANK MR.GOLD FOR PUTTING SUCH AN OUTSTANDING AND TRUE ARTICLE IN THE LA TIMES AND NOTICING THE KEY POINTS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THE GANG RELATED NEIGHBORHOODS AND FOR DOING SUCH AN ARTICLE ON MR. BASHEER. MR. BASHEER TRULY IS A HERO IN THESE STREETS. HE IS THE REALEST IT GETS. PCITI IS BREATH TAKING, AWESOME, HARDCORE, AMAZING, AND THE MOST LIVEST AND REALEST GANG INSTITUTE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO IN MY LIFE. I DONT KNOW HOW MR.BASHEER DOES IT, BUT ITS LIKE HE HAS POWER. POWER TO SAVE PEOPLES LIVES AND TEACH ABOUT GANG VIOLENCE AND STREET SURVIVAL. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO ANY INSTITUTE LIKE P.C.I.T.I IT IS TRULY THE BEST AND I CAN VOUCH TO THAT!!! WHAT I DONT UNDERSTAND IS WHY PEOPLE WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE P.C.I.T.I AND ALL THE SUCCESSFUL WORK ITS BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE DO THIS TYPE OF WORK FOR MONEY AND SHOW, BUT GANG INTERVIONALIST MR.BASHEER TRULY DOES IT FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT IS PLAIN TO SEE HE REALLY HAS BEEN THROUGH IT ALL GANGS, STERET VIOLENCE, ETC. I READ THE FIRST ARTICLE ON THE P.C.I.T.I, AND THOUGHT IT WAS EXCELLENT BUT THIS ARTICLE REALLY IS A HOMERUN! MR.BASHEER IS REALLY SAVING LIVES EVERYDAY AND STOPPING GANG VIOLENCE AND PROMOTING STREET SURVIVAL. LIKE I SAID BEFORE HE IS A HERO AND BY FAR THE BEST YET. SO I THINK WE ALL SHOULD LOOK UP TO INTELLIGENT MEN LIKE THIS AND REALLY GET BEHIND AND SUPPORT HIS TRAINING INSTITUTE.ITS ABOUT DANG TIME SOMEBODY TALKS ABOUT THE GOOD WORK MR.BASHEER AND HIS TEAM HAS BEEN DOING FOR ALL THESE YEARS. THANKS AGAIN MR. GOLD FOR SUCH AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE. SINCERLY PROUD GRADUATE.

Thank you Mr. Gold I'm so glad that finally someone has taken a honest look at what politics can and will do to progress. The academy featured in this article is the only academy I can honestly say is actually doing the work Mr. Basheer and his team has been in the community for years from Street Survival Seminars,after school programs (BUILD), FIRM classes for our your males, CERT Community Emergency Response Team training, Fire Department training in street mediation with intervention workers, International training Africa, El Salvador etc. There isn't an interventionist who has been through any of The PCITI Professional Community Intervention Training Institutes courses that hasn't said This is the Best class they have ever been through. And I don't know about you but I haven't found any other training out there. Some might have written the interventionist off but Mr. Basheer hasn't those pictures of the from the second Graduating Class as I type there is going to be very soon the
Graduates from the Third Class. 18 weeks of in you face, rattle your thought process, mind altering transformation of mind, body and soul. While the city continues to play politics on how to structure an academy again in about 6wks there will be another GRADUATING CLASS!!!!! Before I forget not all of the students in the classes have been ex-gang members, not all black and not all men Women, Latinos College grades, Business owners, Mothers and Fathers who in some way this class was so important that they travel from Palmdale, Moreno Valley Long Beach, North Hollywood to attend every Thursday from 9am to 2pm no one gets paid to come but they are there every Thursday With notebook in had and Ready to do what ever it takes to do This Work Right. If this was a run of a meal 18wk course no one would be there, and It sure wouldn't be Front Page News Mr. Gold I Thank you for highlighting this Outstanding Man Mr. Basheer and the mission that all of us should be doing and that is Taking charge of our community. Mr. Basheer would say IF WE DON'T DO IT WHO DO YOU THINK WILL. WELL IF ANY ONE IS WAITING DON'T, CONTACT THE PCITI FOR THE NEXT GRADUATING CLASS.

Good article! Telling it for real. All of us out here know Brother Basheer for the outstanding gang intervention work he has done for years. We fully support him and all his efforts, we sincerely hope the City get's it right with this academy.

Jan

(3) Tell me as you were forming your opinion did you ask if the family had been offered any therapy? Or were you thinking Victims of Crime (VOC) should have helped them? Sure only no one ever told the family about VOC, victims of Crime which does not take tax payers $$ FYI. VOC, only offers a family $2000 to relocate, and believe me 2000, is not enough to move and start a new beginning. If you think that is enough to move, if so where?

Take a deep breath and now tell me, how many functional adults do you know that live and thrive under these circumstances? How many adults you know that have experience in a life time what this 14 year old along with the rest of the family has lived in less than ten years; and is capable of taking care of a family, or worry about a life like yours?

Please, I am not asking for your pity, I simply ask that you take a moment and consider coming out here and walk our walk, live our challenges, before you comment on what we should or should not be capable of doing. GET THIS; IF OUR MIND WAS CLEAR TO THINK, ACT AND DO WHAT A NORMAL MIND COULD DO, THEN MAYBE we would not need anyone’s help, and WE COULD HAVE TIME LIKE YOU TO COMMENT ON WHAT WE THNIK YOU SHOULD BE DOING WITH YOUR LIFE.

I challenge you to come out to South LA visit a high school or middle school, and offer to become a support system for a child, I guarantee you the child you help and give guidance to will make it out of here, and he or she will have taught you a thing or two about living in these streets. I challenge you to come out and spend a day with us, feel and live our life issues and struggles and at the end of the day tell me if you still feel as you did when you arrived in South LA.

Blessings,
L.A.U.R.A. (Life After Uncivil Ruthless Acts)

(2) As we all know, it takes a strong investment in the family and a focus on academic achievement which stars in the early elementary school years. For many of you living outside our area that is a given, but for many of us the priories lie elsewhere and are more about everyday survival, as many of our families and neighbors are victimized by lack of that social safety net that you and yours take for granted. Many young people in my community live in perpetual fear and some show clear signs of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) because they have been exposed to conditions only seen in war-torn regions of the world like Iraq and Afghanistan; this has led to a high level of dysfunction among our residents both young and old. Yes dysfunctional, why because of THE LACK OF A SUPPORT SYSTEM, YES we don’t have the support system needed to help us recover and become functional or productive citizen of society, after being exposed to traumatic acts of violence. Just as many of our homeless soldier when they returned from a war! Would you say they at fault too?

Picture this if you may, let’s say your 14 year old child experience 4 violent acts of violence in a ten year period. What do you think his/her life will be after that? Let’s say he’s experience his mother yelling for help when his grandmother was shot, murdered on Thanksgiving day, by a random act of violence like LAPD called it (drive-by-shooting), while he was only 4 years old. Now nine years later he is 13 and he witnesses his mother murdered in front of their home, by another (drive-by-shooting) or a random act of violence. A year later at fourteen, not only does he experience his father being shot on his birthday party by another wayward bullet that crossed a metal gate, but a few months later once again he witnesses his father being stabbed in front of their home, while getting in his car to go visit his wife’s grave at the cemetery, Now, can you please tell me how functional would your family be, after a decade of this?

Let me simplify it! How functional do you think this kid is? Can you picture him going to class the next day after his grandmother’s death? Or better yet how about after his own mother’s death? How does he move on with out wanting revenge? Now if you are familiar with South LA, you know that you have a year’s wait period before you are seen at the mental health clinic, or you need to get in trouble at school to be referred to the school psychologist if there is even one available. If you know of any better way, then please let me know.

NOW, I know what you are thinking, but you are wrong. This is not a family in gangs, this young child along with his siblings has lived four traumatic life experiences in his short life, and I bet that did not matter as you were forming an opinion or image of his family.

Thank you for sharing some positive stories about South Central LA. To all of you who support our community work in South LA, Thank you for your understanding and positive comments. We welcome the HOPE and LOVE you demonstrate in your comments for us “HUMANS” that live in, what is often referred to as, a “CHRONIC CRIMINAL ENVIORMENT”.

For the rest of you who chose to blame us for the perpetual deteriorating conditions we live under and often compare us to your own life styles and feel we are a lost cause and hence we should not receive any help or understanding from anyone, God bless you and all your loved ones. I truly hope you and yours never have to live what many of us live day in and day out in this region of the city. It is easy to judge our life, and comment on what we should and should not do, I wish it was as easy as some you put it, but unfortunately we are faced with way too many challenges and oversimplifications only add insult to injury.

Yes, I know how to take responsibility for some of the accusations; some of us are too young when we have our babies. Yes, there is a lack of communication between us on some subjects, but don’t all communities share in this struggle? Please know that not all of us are on welfare, some of us might have had our kids at an early age, but we still struggled to do the right thing, and hope to give our children the same opportunities that you give your kids. Yes, we care about having our kids in sports or dance classes, or in reading clubs. You might ask yourself, then what the hell are we doing, why can’t we just be like you!

Well, simply because the field is not leveled, we do not have the YMCA’s, Boys & Girls club’s, or a park that offers you the opportunity of a Pop-Warner football, a swim team, softball, baseball, basketball, and many other activities year-round where your children could participate, or where your kids are being watched and cared for while you are at work. Let’s not forget, while you may be the employee of the month receiving a department bonus, we are the labor force with minimum wages that work longer hours to help you earn that bonus while you go to your kids practice, game, and other activities.

Put down the guns and knives for paint brushes and help each other. Life is so short as it is, do something to help make your neighborhood better and safe. Real MEN make the right choices, Men wanna-bes kill each other. Stop the violence, and start the love of each other...

You have a beautiful city, do something with it to make it better for all!!!

I have no problem with Gangs that are structured and organized to the degree that they follow and toe the line with it's internal leadership but once the gang gets sloppy and kills innocent civilians, the price should be set so high that it sends the highest level of caution to those that would consider acting out their warfare in the middle of civilian communities. For instance, I would have no problem of completely burning down the houses to very ground of those that killed innocent life as well as placing the responsibility at the feet of these gangs that have the blood on their hands. A gang should have only two choices: Surrender the one who commited the act or look forward to the complete obliteration of the gang it'self including the familes that spawned the recklessness and chaos.

Unless gangs are presented with these options, the senseless killing will continue to occur. I realize what I present reeks of Hitler's Final Solution or Stalin's tatics but the Latino wing of Los Angeles must return to it's Militant roots as it was in the days of Pancho Villa and the Revolution. The question is, will these Neighborhoods allow such action as they allowed these gangs to run wild?? The gangs need to be reminded that they should know their small place in the world.

If you take away the means to support one's self, the resulting state of mind can be observed, empathized, documented, and even donated to, but none of that drivel will be as important as one day, actually being responsible, paying your own bills, and having hope for a better economic condition. Unfortunately under the guise of humanity, protected by the slave traders who call themselves political advocates, and under the threat of calls of racism, an unending flow of illegal aliens enters our country ensuring a well supplied slave class of people. And we want to feel bad because they kill each other and defecate in their own cage? Just shut the borders for one year and the economy would soak up workers like a sponge, making advancement to the next best job a goal for everyone and leaving gang activity a hobby for only the lowliest form of life, if even existent at all. Oh you wanted to argue another issue? OK don't close the border then. Continue kidding yourself that you know how to care.

Ricky,

what a load of rubbish. Your excuses for not enforcing the law are in one breath laughable and in another - tragic. First of all, the existence of gangs perpetuates more of the same. Kids in the middle, who have instincts to avoid gangs and want to be free of the violence are being held hostage by these gangbangers you cry the crocodile tears about. My tears are for the victims of the gangs. Secondly, gangs do not function for the purpose of protecting themselves from law enforcement. These gangs are a crime syndicate running the local game for the drug cartels. Put down the comic book and bong pipe and get a whiff of reality.

I hope all cities like this get cleaned up. Crime is a shame, and so is severe poverty that we have in this country.

Good Luck LA

Erin Pondo

Scott Gold:

While writing about this situation...again...is interesting, even commendable, it has nothing to do with solutions. (I do understand that finding solutions is not your duty, responsibility or obligation.)

My point is that this situation has been known about and written about for at least 30 years and keeps getting worse, yet no real productive action has been taken. There are many reasons and excuses for this, legal, cultural and social, but my feeling is that were there a real commitment to solving the problem it would have been solved. After all, we did spend close to a trillion dollars (!) in Iraq trying to fix that problem.

I suppose this comment is simply frustration: No one should have to live and endure these conditions, most especially in an American city. My feeling is that was there real outrage and passion and commitment in our city fathers, the problem would have been addressed and resolved years ago.

What we have instead is a long history hand-wringing, procrastination, speeches, pronouncements and tragic newspaper stories. The inescapable feeling is that too many people with the power to effect change feel that this is just the way "these people" are, and there's nothing to be done about it.

That may even be true. If so, writing about it, even as beautifully as you have done, yet again, not only seems futile, it seems pointless.

Gang violence and graffiti vandalism are very costly to the City, citizens, families and victims. We need to place less money in the self help groups and more money in zero tolerance aggressive enforcement. All violators will serve full sentences including juveniles. The criminals who volunteer to work hard for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, will have 4 months knocked off their sentence after completing 4 complete months of work. No need to build more multi million dollar jails, just build cheap compounds in the desert with minimum security for the non-violent criminals. If you walk away and survive, an arrest warrant will be placed in the system and you will do double your time at a more secure facility alongside violent criminals.

This is just the starting point for assisting these poor communities to become safer and more livable.

I found the series very informative. One of the main issues that South Los Angeles is facing the choices that many of the citizens make about the quality of their lives. I have spent the last 15 years working with young men that are active gang members, they range in age from 14-18, the one thing many of them have in common is that they all have made a choice to take part in criminal activity ,they all now the consequences of their actions but choose to continue this anti-social behavior that harms their familes and their communities. The city and county of Los Angeles offers countless programs for those willing and ready to make a change, many refuse while others wait untill its too late(prison,death).It all comes down to personal responsibility,we must be willing to make changes in our lives that will have a positive effect on our personal lives and our communities. Untill this happens in South Los Angeles, the cycle will continue. The citizens must hold each other (not the police) accountable and responsible for change.

I have three solutions that would end many inner city problems:
1. legalize and control drugs like they do in Holland. Take the street profit out of it.
2. outlaw canned spray paint.

To answer Anatoly's question, we all do. Central Avenue is largely forgotten until June, when the Central Avenue Jazz Festival hits. Then everybody is in the community enjoying the sounds, and the ambiance. But the festival ends, there is still a community that is there. Just because it is now predominately Brown doesen't mean we don't want to see it succeed. As Councilwoman Perry has said and many leaders and residents have said, we want to see living wage jobs, come to the community. We want to see investment in the community to offer venues like movies, bowling alleys, etc. We want to see Central Avenue rise again.

(Pedro Baez is Vice President and Political Director of The Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable)

Superb article and comments, both good and bad. My input is the following: Stop depending on the government or anyone else to make things better for you -- do it yourself. Just because people label you, you don't have to make it true. Look within yourselves and identify your shortcomings. Then decide to make the necessary corrections. Stop dwelling on what you don't have . We were all born naked. If all of us sat around and waited for someone else to clothe us we would be in sad shape. You will find that when you are determined to make your life better, others may step in to help you if needed. Many complain that government need to supply your kids with activities. Well, what do you think those of us did who were born before social programs? We made stick horses bottle dolls, mudcakes, made clothes from floursacks without a sewing machine or patterns, etc. What you don't have is your problem -- do something about it yourself. Stop thinking the taxpayers owe you a life. Besides, when government or whomever does try to help your neighborhoods, you people do not respect or appreciate it and get busy turning it into ruin, like your graffiti. BLAME the man in the mirror for your shortcomings.

Like a previous poster wrote, who cares about these people?

Just keep them out of *my* neighborhood! =)

Wow. Im reading some insane stuff, but mostly from the actual people that live in South LA.

Graffiti - practice art? Art? Go learn math, make that your art. Stop destroying walls with MEANINGLESS gibberish, that means nothing, says nothing, does nothing. Everytime I see graffiti, its done by kids who truly have a mis-directed sense of energy. Most let these so called "artists" work on walls of businesses because they either think its hip or because they think their getting closer to that idiot youth or they'll be protected or they'll make the neighborhood look "nicer" with gibberish colorful walls. Please. Its ugly. Its crass, its art-its open to intepretation okay but its just BAD art. Meaningless art. And it encourages little meaningless scratches or etchings on bus glass, toilet stalls, elevators, gas-pumps. Its the insignificant writing insignificant nothings saying insignificant things.

Gansta style - Oh man, so a supposed "white" cop "harasses" you because you like to go gansta style. Here's a prime example of a not too intelligent mindset supporting a low-self esteem way of dressing. Its the style of losers, yet, they defend it, and if the police stop them, they scream racism. No, its that you simply look like a trouble maker, a meandering kid with nothing better to do. Furthermore, you risk putting yourself and others AROUND YOU in danger. I call these bullet magnets. Even their cars look of gansta style. Ive been caught in a gun battle because of people that look like this. Its dangerous, thats why they stop you. But these kids, will continue down this path regardless of what I type here or say to them in the streets. There is NOTHING one can do.

Also, I forgot to mention this in another post but fathers, whether recent immigrants or 1st, 2nd generation latino men, have a serious alcoholic habit. Much worse than the USC alcoholic snot noses, because at least they can get into rehab after graduation. But these men are irresponsible..."les valen madre". As a result, they dont parent, they dont want to and have nothing of wisdom or again - self-esteem to pass on to their kids.

Tattoo's - dont get me started on that one. Lets just say, once a latino man or woman is tatted up, he'll forever be branded a gangbanger or with ties to gangs in someway. While others of a different hue, can simply move on and be considered hip.

Look, if we're going to talk about gangs lets be totally real here. First off, gangs are made by not only poverty, but by their own families. There is a generational aspect of tradition and ignorance. How many times have I seen a young latino couple or single mom with a kid anywhere from 1, to 2, 5 years old already being indoctrinized by looking like little shaved head, white baggy t-shirt wearing little gangbangers.

Its a twisted sense of pride. And where does that come from? How can one change that? Well I think from years of observing these people that its really all about self-esteem. They dont love themselves, have twisted, lowest common denominator images of themselves. The way they talk, the way they justify la vida loca, gang-violence and then tattoo the virgin Mary on thier bodies. Its really a very well established counter or sub-culture well nested in their communities, families, perhaps now in their blood.

We Latino's call it having a "pinta". Pinta de cholo. Some move up in life or get even decent jobs, hired in banks or as token Latino's in white america corporate jobs, but they have this something about them, a look, a baggy pant, a t-shirt under a dress shirt which is already too big for their fat necks, baggy, pressed but baggy, shaved head...you know they somehow still have a link or ties to the streets. That is called having a "pinta".

So you see, it takes more than bringing in a super market (which by the way La Superior isnt that superior, almost all the produce and food they sell there is of low quality, unhealthy) that does not change a self-hating very indoctrinated culture or a way of thinking thats generational.

Its starts by smart, brave, strong, knowledgeable, open-minded, did I say brave? - PARENTS. But most latino parents are too busy working, coming home burnt out from the bus rides, late hours, not-cooking good home-made food (yes nutrition is a monumental part of the attack on the self-esteem in this community) and too busy watching "novela's" or "puert-iando", ie. gossiping about others in the neighborhood, all this and more, ultimatley not parenting, showing their kids can do more, that they can be brave to be different, not follow a crowd, a gang, to make something of themselves. Religion also does a lot to suppress these people. Education and knowledge, thats not coveted. Myspace and the Virgin Mary, thats above all else, my homies, my ride, my wheels, my cross.

A market, even if it were say Ralphs, does NOT change a community, thats just a patch.

you should...how are you gonna elevate this society and leave it a better place than you found it for our children if you dont take the hate and violence at the street. your the kind of person that feeds into all of this hatred

I'm finding that half of these comments are absolutely ridiculous and you can tell in an instant if they're coming from a middle/upper class individual from West L.A. or in some beautiful suburb of L.A. The other half of these comments have a lot of insight into them; If you've ever lived in or spent a good chunk of time in South L.A., you would know this. Things are not black and white, these issues are very complicated and have a long history that most people like myself wouldn't know had we not lived here for a while getting to know the people.

I am white and from the suburbs, but I am currently living in South L.A., I wouldn't have had a clue about the complicated nature of the area if I didn't have an open mind about it seeking to understand. Passing a ton of unfair and racist laws and governing the area with a police force that is not even close to representative of the people that live there is unjust. Yes, getting rid of gang violence is very important, but it's going to take a lot more than a ton of unfair and racist injunctions. It truly is a different world in South L.A., with 3rd world resources no less, and takes more effort (and way more luck) for the people living here to get anywhere. It's not as easy as just getting a job, because a most places that will take someone on a decent career path are closed minded and refuse to hire anyone who made a mistake in their lives or are from the area or are not the same color as the employer. I hate to say it, but it's true.

Honestly, who gives a rat's behind about these people?

love will conquer all, occupying time, kids don't need free time they need structure, most importantly love, if you love your children unconditionally, they will love, honor you in return, it doesn't take much, just a few kind words, show some concern, they won't want to disappoint the ones that love them.

every culture in this great country has at some point had a gang problem since it's inception in this country, the irish in the 1800's the chinese in san francisco in the 70s the jews in the new york in the 30's and 40's the italians since the 30's and so on and so forth and why they and all people join gangs is for lack of social and economic oppurtunity when you have no oppurtunity in your community and your hungry and bored because there are no jobs in your community none of your friends have positive plans for lack of wealth "you do what your friends do" now that's not to say you can't get out of poverty but you try planting a rose seed in cement and see how bueatifull that rose grows. These injunctions scare me cause all they do is punish youths for being poor. I've seen it, I've been there you're walking down the street and the police assume your guilty of something, they then harras you till you hate them then when your friends have the same experience you think there not gonna buddy up for protection thus starting a "gang" it's a sad cycle i know it sounds cliche and liberal but we are never gonna rid ourselves of the gang problem till our kids in poor neighborhoods are given the same oppurtunities aswell as qualified teachers as the more affluent neighborhoods on the westside of los angeles so that they can then become the new middle class of there communties as many other cultures have in this country thus ending a cycle of missed oppurtunities.

The problem starts with poor on non-existent parenting. Solutions to consider are:
1) Teach more "life skills" in school. Parents must also take classes on their responsibilities and parenting skills.
2) Parenthood should not be rewarded with larger access to government funds. If you have children you should be required to pay a tax to warranty that the rest of law abiding citizens will not have the burden of raising these kids.
3) These gang members are Domestic Terrorists and must be dealt with in the same way as foreign terrorists.
4) Violations from Domestic Terrorists and their co-conspirators should result in loss of citizenship and it's privileges, and possible deportation.
This and more can be done to make sure that we have a better society with out becoming a police state.

Most, if not all, of the issues related to the prevalence of gangs are tied to children who are born into situations of poverty or absent/unqualified parents. I think birth control and a little self-control would do a lot more to combat gangs than any injunction or after school program. Whether it is due to cultural/religious convictions or just plain thoughtlessness and stupidity, there is simply no excuse for bringing a child into the world knowing full well, and planning on the fact, that one cannot provide their child with proper guidance, nutrition, health care, and everything else a child deserves.

Quantity over quality is an absurdity in most cases--why is it the norm when it comes to people in impoverished areas? There is simply no excuse for what irresponsible parents are doing to our youth, and I believe it is only a matter of time before decision-makers realize that is isn't worth helping those who refuse to help themselves.

Even rats will not foul their own home. Why dont I see trash and grafitti in good neighborhoods its because they care where they live. They pick up trash teach thier kids not to write on walls, if you have kids raise them not gangs or the streets, just because you are poor does not give you the excuse to trash your city

READING PEOPLE COMMENTS ABOUT INNER CITY STORIES MAKES ME SEE JUST HOW DIVEDED THE REST OF THE WORLD IS FROM WHAT HAS BECAME KNOWN AS "SOUTH CENTRAL". BY ALOT OF PEOPLES COMMENTS IT SHOWS THAT MOST PEOPLE ASSUME IF YOUR YOUNG AND BLACK OR LATINO YOUR A GANG MEMEBER. I LIVE IN THE HEART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND I HANG WITH MANY OTHER YOUNG GUYS AND NONE OF US ARE INVOLVED IN ANY GANG ACTIVITES. BUT IF THE POLICE COMES BY THE FIRST QUESTION IS WHERE ARE YOU FROM? BUT THIS IS ONLY WHITE OFFICERS THAT ASK THIS, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED THIS QUESTION BY A LATINO OR BLACK OFFICER. THEN THE QUESTION COMES ABOUT WHY DO THEY DO THIS? IT JUST SHOWS MORE HOW FAR APART OUR WORLDS ARE? AND ITS SAD BECAUSE SOUTH CENTRAL PRODUCES MANY SUCCESFUL PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT THROUGH DESPITE ALL THE OBSTACLES THAT ARE THERE. JUST AMAZING OF HOW MANY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF THE INNER CITY BUT HAVE NEVER BEEN IN THE INNER CITY. THE MEDIA DOESNT SHOW IT ALL TRUST...

What I'd like to know is when is society going to wake up and really address the gang problem. I don't want to hear any more sob stories about poor little kids don't have any choice; what a pant load.

If I ran things, the new rule would be join a gang, lose your civil rights and spend 20 years breaking rocks in the desert. No if ands or buts. Too many innocent people have died and too much money is spent treating gang members with kid gloves, all the while they laugh and think we are stupid for letting them play the system, spend easy time in jail and learn to commit more crime.

Well you know what, we are stupid and it is far beyond time for the stupidity to stop.

Gangs have only grown larger over the past 20 years and nothing short of all out war on gang members will stop it.

i live in south central and in here the white cops are racist to us latinos and black, they know our style is gansta looking and they arrest us and harrast us for no reason this injunction are races and anyone here in south central will tell you that

Tagging and gang banging frequently are confused by politicians and especially by the community. People will drive past an area in L.A., see graffiti, and immediately assume that it is representative of gang activity. This is not always a correct conclusion. We live now in an era where graffiti styles are abundant on clothing, advertisements, packaging etc. Many Angelino youths' such as myself feel drawn to these styles and want to be able to practice them freely. This leads me to my point, there is only one sanctioned and legal area to practice our art in Los Angeles. The graffiti wall by the boardwalk in Venice is our only refuge if we want to practice legally. I feel that if more locations were established as safe zones for taggers to practice freely we could at least diminish the amount of tagging taking place on private property and reduce the overwhelming plight of graffiti on L.A. Many of the taggers I know would prefer to go to a location where they could spend ample time working on a piece, instead of waiting til the dead of night to spend no more than fifteen to thirty minutes on a piece. Also, there are many areas owned by the city that are out of view from the public which could easily be used without taxpayers footing the bill for any city sanctioned walls. Most taggers are purely painting for their love of the medium of spray paint and their need to express themselves through graffiti styles, they are not hardened criminals. By allowing sanctioned areas to be utilized by taggers under municipal supervision we could channel this love and creativity away from the streets and businesses. Arresting taggers simply for hanging out together is unconstitutional and counter productive towards coming closer to solving the tagging problem in L.A. The fact is there are just too many taggers in L.A. for that to be close to feasable. The LAPD only has the identities of a fraction of taggers in L.A. I strongly disagree with the comment by Greg Estevane claiming that taggers will turn into gang members once they begin to be punished under anti-gang laws. This simply is not the case, most taggers would simply find a way around the laws and find new places to paint, or paint with less people. However I strongly agree with Greg Estevane's coment that these laws suggested by Trutanich are excessive. I have absolutely no problem with harsh enforcement when it comes to gangs. I of all people want L.A. to be safe and clean. This is why I believe designated walls for taggers should be part of the solution.

There is an eminently simple and timely solution to the graffiti problem. Pass a statewide tax on aerosolized spraypaint. Make each and every can cost about $20 and you will see graffiti almost disappear. For those that have a legitimate and regular use for such a product, there are alternative methods of getting the job done. When was the last time you actually needed to use spraypaint? I can't recall ever purchasing spraypaint in my adult life. In the rare instance that I may need to touch up an old appliance, $20 will not kill me.

Sincerely,

Efrain Rojas

I agree with what many have already posted here. It all starts with unwanted babies being brought into the world by young girls who don't have the means to properly raise a child. I teach in an area where I see these girls proudly parading around wearing their pregnancies on their sleeve like a badge of honor. Until the culture that supports this understands how devastating this is for society, nothing can help them. All these babies will grow up to be sad kids who will soon enter gangs and it goes on and on. The simple answer is birth control.

I have helped to found a new pilot school within LAUSD and one of the highlights of our program is a 40 minute advisory period at the beginning of the day. This advisory is used to help students with all kinds of issues--identity, study skills, college going awareness, community service and more. That 'more' includes an unleashing day, where students get a chance to speak what's on their minds--good, bad, in between, nothing at all. The teachers at our school found it disturbing that most students hesitate to speak when given the opportunity, but reading about Stan Bosch and his approach shows me that our efforts are in the right place. Our students have never been given the opportunity to speak about what's on their minds. They don't have a mother at home waiting for them to walk through the door to ask them how their day went. Good teachers have always tended to the needs of their students pertaining to their personal lives and we must continue to do so. I am printing this article and using it for a professional development day on our advisory curriculum come September. Thanks.

Great article! As a teacher, I find myself listening and trying to help. We need more resources and more therapists and psychologists at our schools. With budget cuts, I find myself trying to be the "therapist" without proper training. I have to be able to do more than just listen. So many people are so desperate now. We got to reach out and do all we can.

Thank you for this inspiring story. It makes me realize I need to do something substantial in the world beyond my family.

Maryellen Boyle
Santa Cruz, CA

Very good article..I grew up in a gang area..me and my friends talk about the old days the crazy stuff we did..And we always say thank god we didn't grow up in SC..cuz we probaly would of ended up shot or in jail...South Central is no joke folks..Let's be honest people who grew up in the hood know that are world is diffrent then the communities with more resources..it's so simple to see..The youth need more opportunities..

Injunctions are working, in their local jurisdictions atleast, but gang members simply gather outside them. Intervention, I dont know how effective it is, but I can think of better ways to spend the money, like beefing up presence, creating after school projects, sports teams, mentor organizations, etc. Because while you think intervention works, any little thing, could light the fuse and spark an all out war at any time. We should stop being reactive, and start being a little proactive. an ounce of prevention is more valuable that a ton or cure, and is cost effective to boot.

Awesome Report. I also live in the injunction area and I think its a great idea to heavily police the area and arest anyone thats looks suspicious or is not conforming. I'd rather get harrassed by the police than gettng shot by a gangster.

If there is confusion over how to break the cycle (70 years worth), no one is discussing the issue of prevention. This is akin to trying to stamp out an epidemic because no one bothered to vaccinate people to prevent the outbreak. Shouldn't the bulk of the funding and programs be geared to those youngsters most likely to join the ranks of the gangs? This lack of scientific thinking and the logic of cause-effect will continue the dog chasing its tail syndrome that we're seeing. Also, unless there are decent jobs for gang members, what is the incentive to stop selling drugs and continue gang banging? Father Greg of Homies Unidos is a positive model for intervention with offers of training and employment. Yet, his funding has been cut and many police officers attack him as a"bleeding heart" and a communist! In conclusion, early prevention, job training and creation, and the decriminalization of drugs need to be implemented in order for the growth of gangs and violence to diminish.

One person stated that,"Real contacts on the street level, there is no other way to break the cycle."
Well, Unity Two lost their contract due to lack of intervention. However, just what is meant by intervention and contacts. How is intervention defined and measured in order to determine if the group is successful or not. Do gang members who are angry and want revenge really listen to the "Do gooders" as they are called.

Oh, yeah. You don't negotiate with gangs. You arrest them as fast as you can. To treat them like separate entities is to give them power the constitution never intended. Making them a political entity is criminal itself.

This issue of gangs and neighborhood safety and identity gets more complicated the more we learn about it. Thank you for this coverage -- it's not something I can get on blogs.

South Central was a name given by the news media during the 1965 Watts riots because it started on Central Avenue! The community refers to Eastside and Westside -- anything east of MAIN is the SOUTHEAST and west of Main is SOUTHWEST! I have lived in Southwest Los Angeles in the same house for 40 years! Raised two sons as a single parent. They were never in a gang, both graduated from high school, never been in trouble, both went to college one received his Master's Degree. In my neighborhood people have always walked, rode their bikes, water their lawns, etc. I had never heard of the housing project and gang take over of the Southeast community. I am aware of gang activity in Los Angeles as a whole, but this injunction in the Southwest community vs Southeast is a big stretch. In addition the map indicates only part of the Southwest area and linking it to the Southeast coommunity is reporting misinformation as did the media in 1965 naming our community. I have lived in SOUTHWEST LOS ANGELES FOR 40+ YEARS.

it's easy to sit in front of a computer and look down at kids that bang, but if you haven't lived it, you don't know jack! There's always a set of circumstances that lead to people being rich or poor, educated or not. Instead of talking from a soapbox, people should try and reach out to the youth, there's enough blame to go around for everyone so y make it worse by attacking the youth? Im glad to see it's changing, but there's still a long way to go..obviously.

Thanks, Scott, for the great articles. Very informative. Martha T.

Bingo! michael & gemjyor well said
point made.

Albuquerque,

The reason things are the way they are is because of "choices" people make in their lives. The government will never be able to do enough to change someone's life.....that responsibility rests soley on the individual.
A common problem that is mentioned in many posts here is that people are having children even though their own lives are a complete disaster. If you are uneducated, and unemployed, what business do you have bringing a child into the world?
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
When individuals start taking personal responsibility for their lives, only then will real change come about.

Somebody made a comment that so-called gang bangers need jobs.What they really need is to become real men,grow up,move from under mommy, and sign up for the military to truly fight for something that they take for granted.The freedom that we all live for.If they are truly gangsters,go to Beverly-hills,or Brentwood with that type of activity.Stop Killing your own kind!!!!!!

Very informative and educational. Although poverty still exists and residents live in danger on a daily basis, I am glad to see it has gotten better when in other communities it has gotten worse. It would be interesting to read a follow up 3 to 5 years from now and to have stories of those that have made it.

Good article. But what still concerns me, is that the residents still look to the PD to fix the neighborhood. The PD can't. It has to happen from within, by the residents themselves. It's their kids, relatives and neighbors making the trouble, and the PD can't put officers there 24/7.

Purpose. These folks need purpose. Let's start with having a really good daycare in the area. Then send willing parents to higher education. For free. The savings would be tremendous. We need a politician willing to go to the mat.

These housing projects were just supposed to house families during the time of war going back all the way to the 1940's. Somehow, these families were forgotten and generation after generation of families still live in these housing projects. They are now infested with gangs, drugs, violence, fear and oppression. My parents had 12 children and we NEVER lived in any housing projects. These people need to get up and get out, it not easy but it should be possible if they believe in themselves.

Another very sensitive and thorough piece. It's surprising and clear, and I never would know about this section of L.A. otherwise. Thank you.

Like a poster said earlier,until these young boys quit thinking that they're a man by getting someone pregnant, they will continue to produce babys that dont stand a chance of making it in this world. And I believe its time we start making these young girls be more responsible for their bodys instead of letting boys treat them like they're some play ground.

What a great article! It brings a whole part of our city into sharper focus. Thank you.

We need much more about the here and now - not just more stories that tell people that don't live here the juicy details of stereotypes they already have. We read all the time about how bad our community is - and that is about the only time the LA Times drops in. Scott is a great reporter and this is an important story. Still it focuses much more on the "perils" than the "promise." Gangsters are such a small portion of our population yet that's all we read about. http://www.leimertparkbeat.com

To those who are appalled by the 3rd world environment that is South Central, I ask this; What do you expect from a poverty stricken, crime infested "community" that's been neglected by both the governement and the general population for 20 plus years? All these gangs, all this despair, all this fear, didn't just happen overnight.

To claim to know how, and why, all this chaos came to be is redundant. To suggest, as many here have done, a solution that will somehow reverse decades of hopelessness is foolish. How one of the greatest cities in one of the greatest countries in the history of the world continues to look the other way while millions of its own suffer for generation after generation, all the while spending trillions supposedly combating these very same injustices thousands upon thousands of miles away, is just pathetic.

What gangsters need are jobs. If they don't want to go to school, get them a job. They should set up nonprofit companies that put kids at risk to work because, honestly, how many of them will go to college. Instead of using the money for school, subsidize nonprofit companies that gives them work to do.

Once they start working they will not have the time or energy to gang bang. They can help their families financially. They say you are not your job. Well, these teens don't even get to ask that of themselves.

First, only newspapers provide this king of in-depth reporting.

I think the injuction idea is a good one. Short of shooting known gang members on sight I don't know what else the city is going to do.

In a totalitarian state none of this would be a problem. We would have other problems, but this would not be one of them. Given the overall constraints of a democracy the constant balancing between the rights of the individual and the rights of the group is a never-ending process. The rights of the individual many time seem to trump the rights of the group. As a result disorder commonly prevails.

It may be that democracy is not designed to work on a large scale. After all, when the Constitution was adopted the population of the U.S. was only a very small fraction of what it is now.

It may be preferable to have a horrible end then horror without end.

Many good and interesting points made regarding the link between poverty, access to education and learning, and RELEVANT social programs.

We also need to remember the huge psychological pull of gangs. In some areas of LA gangs are a generational phenomena, being passed down generation to generation. The gang often replaces the family. The gang has the same, believe it or not, dynamics as a family. Which makes it often very very difficult for youth and older members to cut ties.

Until we as a society see the direct connection between socio-economic oppression and gangs, we are stuck with this dangerous problem.

And let's be fair about who are in gangs and who are not. Gangs come in every size, shape, demographic of people. They vary as the communities and neighborhoods throughout the city and County vary.

Also, a word about the injunctions. On the outside they do look unconstitutional. However, if one lives in a plagued community, as I do, the injunctions help keep the violence somewhat contained. Although gang members do still shoot and kill innocent people from time to time. The injunctions help keep the drug dealing contained. They help keep communities from being overrun by criminal activity.

It's not an easy thing to get an injunction enacted. It's often the last resort for the community. Remember the community? Those are the people affected by the gang activities. While we spend a great deal of time on the subject of civil liberties in regards for the gangs, we tend to forget the other side of the issue, the non-criminal, non-gang affiliated members of a community. It's a complex issue and sometimes not as easily solved by thinking "just move." Often those within the communities are there because it's what they can afford.

Is this the best the LAPD can do but express "hope" that the crime rate will stay low? They can start by respecting the very people they have been hired to serve and quit treating them like dirt. They should keep up the pressure on the gangs and sent them packing, or to jail.

Oh, sorry. Our legislators want to release criminals back on the street so that they can collect their pay raise.

While I agree that social programs are needed to help the families that want a better life in these areas, folks in these areas need to begin taking more responsibility for themselves as well. The mother in the story of at least 4 kids - two of whom that were in gangs, makes it sound like this isn't her fault...the fact that it's "South Central" is at fault. I see one poster actually noting that "imperfect immigration policies, and economic policies that create more opportunities for downward mobility than upward mobility among the US-based latino underclass" is at fault. Why is it the problems of folks in these communities are always someone else's fault. I see very little accountability from anyone in this community...these folks need to look in the mirror and do some of the heavy lifting themselves. Work hard at school. Don't get pregnant if you can't afford kids. When you do have kids, teach them how to be productive members of society.

What court supplied the LAPD with this injunction? It hardly seems constitutional! How can police officers be enabled by a law to arrest suspected individuals without having to prove (a) that those individuals are gang members and (b) that those individuals are either in the process of committing a crime or will commit one imminently? I understand there's a legal precedent for curtailing certain civil liberties in the name of public safety. This seems like a very slippery slope.

Also, the detail about the city providing a free internet "cloud" seems like a novel idea to give poor people the resources they need to help themselves. But the news is written in a vaguely patronizing way in that it assumes that streetgangs are made up of people who are so unsophisticated that they do not know how to use the internet to recruit members and promote themselves, when it has been long known that they are quite adept at doing so.

This vaguely patronizing tone of that paragraph runs through the entire article in its treatment of the relationship between poverty and gangs. The article re-state's the city's justification for the injunction hook-line-and sinker in arguing that a neighborhood made up of "poor" and "transient" people "creates" a "vacuum" where gangs establish their "ecosystem." Obviously poor and transient people do not "create vacuums." The vacuums are created a confluence of underlying causes that create urban poverty, including urban housing policies, social stratification, imperfect immigration policies, and economic policies that create more opportunities for downward mobility than upward mobility among the US-based latino underclass.

Hopefully a future article in this series will address these problems, which are probably obvious to anyone who's watched 5 minutes of The Wire.

HOW TO PREVENT BAD GANGS --

There are few Hannibal Lecters out there, but,if you providethe individuals in question with; ---
a. Safe place to stay, a simple room will do,----
b. Basic nutritional requirements,--
c. Basic health care,--
d. Instruction in subjects the individuals have interests in at a,--
1. Time best suited to the individuals learning capabilities.--
2. Location best suited to the individuals circumstances,--
3. Rate best suited to the individuals learning capabilities.--

These steps should eliminate BAD gangs, and would be much cheaper then the cops, lawyers, judicial personnel, and jails which would other wise be involved. --

Thank you,--
Robert Evan Howard --
aclepd.com --
aclepd@aclepd.com

The problems in South Central and elsewhere are family problems. Young males in these troubled areas seem to believe that their role as parents begins and ends when their girlfriends discover that they are pregnant. Their ticket to manhood has been validated and no further involvement on their part is needed. Tragically, the young women who sign up for single parenthood don't seem to understand what they are doing. Program after program is trotted out in an effort to mitigate the simple absence of two parent households to little or no avail.
The LA Times has presented many features over the years about gangs, crime, and the high drop out rates of inner city schools. These stories are real as is the pain of mothers whose children have been killed or injured in gang related crimes. No program, no amount of money, no level of incarceration will bring an end to this. What is needed is for our young people to recognize that parenting is not a hobby.

These injuctions are just another way for 5.0 to bully. The issue with gangs will be resolved when 1.Immigration gets deal with properly and 2.The population in California shrinks. 3.Permanently band weapons to the public. No different than any other big city problem in the U.S. What the offer says sounds unreal "does not want to get arrested for hanging out", who in the right mind wants to go to jail for just that. A good first step for a type of contol for gangs, but its minimal, will do little to change the big picture.

Thanks for the article.
I am shocked that it appears that Maria Garcia - mother of the kids who had a loaded gun on their bunk bed in a room for four children - appears to have only received a small slap on the hand from the cops. Where are child services in all this? This woman is clearly unfit to be a mother.
Three common themes seem to appear in cities where gang violence is rampant:
1. poverty. To improve that situation, see 2 below

2. an overabundance of children in homes that seem to have no business having so many - if any - children.
Let's educate these women and men in family planning. It is clear that if women like Ms. Garcia would have waited until she/they are better able to manage a family, then planned for a small family where they could care for her children, as all children deserve, situations like what is happening in S. LA would improve, and

3. Lack of proper fathering of all of these young men...I think if point 2 above were addressed this point would improve as well.

As a teacher in this area, I have to stress the importance of after school programs for children. If they have someting fun and productive to do, they will be less likely to turn to gangs for comraderie and entertainment. I want to applaud the Woodcraft Rangers, an organization that offers students at South LA schools guitar classes, a rock band program, skateboarding club, arts and crafts, tutoring, and healthy snacks. Little by little, groups like this make a difference.

The main reason crime is down in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas is because the bad boys and girls have been moving up to Palmdale, Lancaster, Adelanto, Apple Valley and Victorville in the high desert. Check out the huge increase in violent crimes in this area. All the Brat and Tony V has done is either pay them off or get them to move. If anyone thinks the majority is "reformed" or just selling flowers etc. are naive at best.

I agree that this is a "good" article in the sense that it depicts perhaps a more hopeful side of South Central L.A. The people in this area need to know that authorities are taking some steps to combat the gang culture that plagues their community. However, the article FAILS to thoroughly address the single most important factor that breeds gangs: poverty. The city of Los Angeles has neglected this area with impunity for decades. Hence, we had the 1992 UPRISING: poor blacks and Latinos exploding after years and years of poverty, unemployment, police brutality, discrimination and racism. Many people, including the author of this article and the LAPD, fail to see the connection that exists between the development of gangs in L.A and the socio-economic conditions that push young men and women to embrace violence and drugs. Yes, gangs are a serious problem in our city, but gang injunctions will forever fail to prevent youth from finding ways out of poverty through gangs. Do not just target the poor for the actions they are taking; target the source of their actions and help them get out of poverty without resorting to self-destruction.

This is a good article, but lets give credit to all the schools, teachers, administrators, counselors, and staff, that teach in South Central.

As an educator, we see the the problem first hand, and when we get gang members to focus on their education, and walk away from their past. It is education and community involvement that allowed them to realize their potential.

But with all the educational budget cuts, crime will be on the rise and the solution...oh yes...hire more cops.

Very comprehensive article.

This is a Great Beginning.but When is LAPD going to start cleaning up its corrupted cops, by prosecuting them for being criminals themselves? Bratton and their internal investigators never find those cops guilty. If you want the communities that they serve to trust the cops, the cops themselves have to be trustworthy.

Great Article. The law-abiding citizens should not live in fear and kids should be able to play in the street and in the local parks. I think the injuction is great. If people are worried about civil liberties and are being offended when they are incorrectly stopped by the police, then don't dress like a damn gang member. It has nothing to do with race. I mean when is it appropriate to wear a overly baggy pants and huge white t-shirt in any work environment. This has been known gang attire for decades. If this guy referenced in the article had a nice collared shirt and slacks, no one would think twice about stopping him. Grow up buddy. Somtimes people have to be inconvenienced for the greater good of the people living in that area.

Great article. I work at a group home near Compton, and it seems that the common thread among young men who end up in the system is the absence of a father. I think it's great that the LAPD is cleaning up the streets with gang injunctions, but I also think it is equally important to take a multi-faceted approach when tackling the gang problem. It's as if these young men need to be reprogrammed, but that's not going to happen if that young man's household or neighborhood is a destructive place. A large part of the problem is a lack of education among the hood's residents, who are then unable to secure a living wage without advanced skill sets. Not having a decent income means you end up broke. And I think it was Ghandi who said that "poverty is the worst kind of violence."

Great job LA Times. Thanks to the LAPD officers and the residents who want a better life they are doing this. I live in Compton and I went to see some properties in that area last month, this is the other face of L.A. I saw cops everywhere, there seen to be stopping suspicious people, they are doing a great job. ays.In addition, I also saw nice homes and nice cars. However, it remember me about Compton but a little worse. Hopefully that area start to change, more better lets say lets hope it start changing more like it have latelly.

Are they doing this in Watts/ Florence area?

this is very interactive, very informative, and great reporting. great job.

Can you add the 77th Street Community Police Station, 7600 South Broadway, to your injunction map? Along with Newton, this LAPD station also covers this injunction area. 77th has numerous officers and community members working on this same injunction and us residents served by the 77th Station would like to have this recognized. Thank you for being interested in our often-forgotten neighborhood and good luck with this series.

this is why I subscribe to the Los Angeles Times, for articles like this.