|
Gangs of Los Angeles
Over the centuries many cities have held the dubious honor of being considered the gang capital of the world. London, New York, Chicago, all have worn the "crown". The most recent city to hold the title is Los Angeles, and the City of Angeles has been reigning since the 1980’s. From its struggles with the crack cocaine epidemic and the heavily mythologized war between the Crips and Bloods to the rise of the Salvadoran gangs MS13 and 18 Los Angeles has been the epicenter of gang activity in the United States.
More than just the tale of a city with a problem with crime, the story of the Gangs of LA is one of generational shifts in organized crime in America. Gathered here are a series of links that illustrate, in part, the forces that are shaping the gangs today, and the impact they have on Los Angeles and beyond.
The Basics
L.A. Gangs: Nine Miles and Spreading (LA Weekly)
Fact Sheet (Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles)
Salvadoran Gangs
The International Reach of the Mara Salvatrucha (NPR)
L.A. Mayor Seeks Gang Solutions in El Salvador (NPR)
Los Angeles, Salvadoran Police Unite Against Gangs (NPR)
From US Funded Death Squads to L.A-Bred Maras (Campus Progress)
World's Most Dangerpus Gang (National Geographic Channel)
Recent News & Opinion
L.A. City Council Rejects "Ban" On Homicides (LA Times)
Race and gangs in L.A. (LA Times)
Youth Radio Stories
Guerra Everywhere
|
|
