Gang Violence and its Impact in Los Angeles

 Gang Violence 

     

  

 Gang violence is a severe and persistent issue. In addition, it is also an essential topic because gangs are a significant threat to community safety. Now it may not be as bad as it was back in the 90’s when it really first surfaced but gang violence is still a critical issue. A place where gang violence has really been an issue is none other than the state of California.

    In the previous five years, there have been more than 15,000 confirmed violent gang crimes in Los Angele areas. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), there have been 491 killings, almost 7,047 felony assaults, 5,518 robberies, and more than 100 rapes. Many people from communities, children, and youth are being affected by this issue. It is also affecting the community and economic growth. This issue is causing threats, theft, gun violence, assaults, vandalism, and drug use. According to Youth.gov, the estimated crime in the United States costs taxpayers $655 billion each year, with gang activities accounting for a significant portion. Furthermore, the state of California has spent a lot of money to rid its streets of gangs and gang-related violence. The money that is being spent is just recently starting to pay off as the city of Salinas California which sees a population of 150,000 people and 3,500 gang members had 131 shootings and 15 homicides in 2010.

    Gang violence is a huge topic and the community should be aware of it. Many kids have joined gangs and still joining. Many of these kids have lost their lives due to gang-affiliated problems Gang violence is a severe and persistent issue. In addition, it is also an essential topic because gangs are a significant threat to community safety. Now it may not be as bad as it was back in the ’90s when it really first surfaced but gang violence is still a critical issue. A place where gang violence has really been an issue is none other than the state of California.

    In the previous five years, there have been more than 15,000 confirmed violent gang crimes in Los Angele areas. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), there have been 491 killings, almost 7,047 felony assaults, 5,518 robberies, and more than 100 rapes. Many people from communities, children, and youth are being affected by this issue. It is also affecting the community and economic growth. This issue is causing threats, theft, gun violence, assaults, vandalism, and drug use. According to Youth.gov, the estimated crime in the United States costs taxpayers $655 billion each year, with gang activities accounting for a significant portion. Furthermore, the state of California has spent a lot of money to rid its streets of gangs and gang-related violence. The money that is being spent is just recently starting to pay off as the city of Salinas California which sees a population of 150,000 people and 3,500 gang members had 131 shootings and 15 homicides in 2010.

    Gang violence is a huge topic and the community should be aware of it. Many kids have joined gangs and still joining. Many of these kids have lost their lives due to gang-affiliated problems. Moreover, gang violence deserves attention is substance abuse. Gangs have been observed in major cities and numerous schools around the United States. Street gangs are one of the major distributors of illicit narcotics in the U.S according to National Drug Intelligence Center. 

Gangs are not an entirely new phenomenon and it is a huge topic and the communities need ways to fix the issues that are caused by them.  Gang violence doesn't only affect communities, but it also impacts gang members themselves. It is a topic that needs attention because many of these gang members have the ability to do something better in life but lack resources that can help and support them. Gang violence is worldwide and needs intervention. It is really important to find ways to fix or resolve the issue of gang violence for a better community. 

Work Cited: 

Author(s) D F Gates; R K Jackson. (n.d.). Gang violence in Los Angeles. GANG VIOLENCE IN LOS ANGELES | Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved November 2021, from https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/gang-violence-los-angeles.

FBI. (2010, June 25). 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. FBI. Retrieved November 2021, from https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment.

Valasik, M. (2018, July 2). Gang violence predictability: Using risk terrain modeling to study gang homicides and gang assaults in East Los Angeles. Journal of Criminal Justice. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047235218302058.