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Transforming Gang Policing Strategies With 21st Century

Leadership

Association of Criminal Justice Research (CA)67th Semi-Annual Meeting

Sacramento, California

Presented By:

Deputy Chief Charlie L. Beck, Chief of DetectivesLos Angeles Police Department

Los Angeles, California

March 13, 2008

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Los Angeles Police Department Criminal Gang/Homicide Group

GANG PERSPECTIVES

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck Commanding Officer

Detective Bureau

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Gang Facts• Increased violence throughout Los Angeles County and

Southern California.

• Los Angeles-based gangs are migrating and are reported in 42 states. Criminal enterprises are expanding in adjoining cities.

• Hispanic gangs are becoming more organized and operating drug enterprises in various Southern California cities.

• Black gangs are expanding operations outside of the area while still maintaining a stronghold in neighborhoods within South Bureau.

• Los Angeles-based fugitives are hiding in small surrounding cities.

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Gang Defined

A gang is a group of three or more persons who have a common identifying sign, symbol or name and whose members individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal activity creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation within the community.

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Historical Perspective • Gangs are known to exist since early 1930s.

• Organized to protect neighborhoods from rival and as a form of racial separation.

• As migrant groups increased, they organized themselves.

• With the influx of drugs, violent and more organized street gangs were formed.

• Gangs now feud for drug turf, organized crimes and for issues of respect within racial or territorial lines.

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Identifying A Gang Member

A juvenile or an adult who has been

positively identified and documented

as a gang member under the

California Department of Justice (DOJ)

approved criteria.

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Gang Membership

Gang Membership Criteria (Two or more must be met for CAL/GANG inclusion):

– Admits to being a gang member in a non-custodial situation.

– Has been identified as a gang member by a reliable informant or source.

– Has been identified as a gang member by an untested informant or source with corroboration.

– Wearing gang attire.– Seen displaying gang hand signs or symbols.– Has gang tattoos.

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Gang Membership (Continued)

• Gang Membership Criteria (Continued)– Frequents gang areas.– Openly associates with documented gang members.– Has been arrested, alone or with known gang

members, for a crime consistent with usual gang activity.

• Affiliate Gang Member– A juvenile or an adult who is identified by a gang

officer as one who associates with a gang, but is not necessarily a full member.

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City Of Los Angeles469+ Identified Gangs OSB - 122 Identified Gangs39,565+ Identified Mbrs. OSB - 22,000 Gang Mbrs.

469 square miles3.8 million Daily Population (+/-)Gang Population (CALGANGS)

Hispanic 22,781Crip 10,318

Blood 4,213Asian 1,130

Stoner 562White 561

9,631 LAPD Police Officers 364 Uniformed GED Personnel

Los Angeles County (including City of Los Angeles)1,253 Gangs 81,745 + Members

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Los Angeles Police Department 2007 Gang Initiatives

• Launch of the South Bureau Criminal/Gang Homicide Group.

• Designation of the Department Coordinator.

• Placement of a Los Angeles Police Gang Member on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted List.”

• Identification of the City’s “Top Targeted Street Gangs.”

• Implementation of the “Community Safety Operations Center.”

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Los Angeles Police Department 2007 Gang Initiatives (Continued)

• Patrol Proliferation Strategy• 204th Street Gang Abatement Strategy• Gang Abatement Legislation• Convergence of Local, State, and

Federal Law Enforcement • Community Awareness Symposiums on

Gang Awareness • Bulletins

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Operations South Bureau Criminal Gang/Homicide Group

Commanding Officer - Commander Patrick Gannon

• Inception April 2007 - Currently provides oversight of:

– 120 of LAPD’s most experienced Homicide Detectives.

– Homicide investigations for Southeast, 77th and Southwest.

– Bureau Gang Suppression Unit 14 Officers; 2 Supervisors.

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Operations South Bureau Criminal Gang/Homicide Group

• Violent Crime Task Force – 8 LAPD; 3 FBI; 1 ATF.

• Special Crimes Unit (Gang Financial) –2 LAPD.

• Gang Intelligence Section – 1 Officer.

• Gang Intervention Team – 2 Supervisors.

• Prevention/Education – 1 Supervisor.

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Crimes Associated With Gangs

• Homicides• Aggravated Assaults• Assaults on Officers• Rape• Robbery (Street, home invasion, business) • Carjacking

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Crimes Associated With Gangs (Continued)

• Kidnapping• Shots at inhabited dwellings (Drive-bys)• Arson• Criminal Threats• Extortion • Vandalism

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2006 - 2007 HomicideJanuary 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007

OPERATIONS SOUTH BUREAU 2006 2007 Change Gang Related 2006 2007 Change

196 152 -44 125 96 -29

Operations South Bureau has experienced a 72% clearance in Homicides

Operations South Bureau has experienced a 29% reduction in Gang Homicides

Operations South Bureau has experienced a 3.8% reduction in gang crimes in 2007. Compared

to 2002, the Bureau has experienced a 28 % reduction.

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Efforts To Target The Top 7 Identified Gangs

• 18th Street, 204th Street, Black P-Stones, Grape Streets, Rolling 40s, Rolling 30s, and Rolling 60s

• Over 400 Arrests• 1,460 Field Contacts

• 336 Citations• 52 Search Warrants• 136 Guns recovered

• Jordan Downs Housing Developments have seen a 17% reduction in violent crime, 13 % reduction in Robberies, 20 % reduction in aggravated assaults.

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GANG MEMBER ASSAULTS ON POLICE OFFICERS

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2

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Jan April July Oct Dec

2006

2007

• 2006 gang member assaults on Officers: 89

• 2007 gang member assaults on Officers: 65

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Jan April July Oct Dec

2006

2007

• 2006 total assaults on Officers : 682

• 2007 total assaults on Officers : 479

ASSAULTS ON POLICE OFFICERS2006 / 2007

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Gang Injunctions

1. 18th Street (Rampart, Hollywood, Wilshire) 2. 38th Street (Newton)3. Avenues (Northeast) 4. Blythe Street Van Nuys, Devonshire) 5. Bounty Hunters (Southeast) 6. Canoga Park Alabama West Valley, Devonshire)7. Culver City Boys (Pacific) 8. Eastside Wilmas (Harbor)9. Harbor City Boys (Harbor)10. Harbor City Crips (Harbor)11. Harpys (Southwest) 12. Krazy Ass Mexicans (Hollenbeck)

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Gang Injunctions (Continued)

13. Langdon Street (Devonshire)14. Pacoima Project Boys (Foothill) 15. Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips (77th Street)16. Varrio Nueva Estrada (Hollenbeck)17. Venice Shoreline Crips (Pacific)18. Venice Trece (Pacific)19. Westside Wilmas (Harbor)20. Grape Street (Southeast)21. Hoovers (77th and Southeast)22. 204th Street (Harbor)

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Intervention

Sergeant Curtis Woodle Sergeant Lloyd Scott

• Consistent dialogue with Gang Intervention Groups

• Direct involvement after gang related shootings • Efforts to deter retaliatory shootings

• Community Education efforts

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Intervention and Education

• South Bureau Boot Camp• Neighborhood Councils• Community-Police Advisory Board• Community Police Academy Graduates• Clergy Council Members• Faith and Civic Leaders• Public and Private School Principal and

Administrators

• Community Youth Programs

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Intelligence Inter-Agency Efforts •E-mail crime information sharing efforts with surrounding agencies as well as federal and state agencies.

•Coordinate information between area gang units, homicide units, and outside agencies.

•Evaluate crime trends and provide information to ensure proper deployment of resources in the bureau.

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Intelligence Inter-Agency Efforts

•Assess problem specific areas or events and ensure resources are put in place.

•Attendance at monthly gang strategy meetings, (i.e., CGIA, IAGTF, Parole, FBI, ATF, and LAUSDPD meetings).

•Inter-agency monthly gang suppression task force to focus on specific areas of crime spikes in participating agency areas.

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COMPSTAT and CAD

• Bureau Intelligence Sharing with Areas, outside agencies and other Department entities.

• Ensure daily review of COMPSTAT statistics and maps with the prior night trends for deployment issues.

• Meet with CAD regularly and ensure that all e-mail distribution lists are up to date.

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COMPSTAT and CAD (Continued)

• Discuss area crime problems, trends, patterns, and series.

• Ensure that information is disseminated to adjacent cities for possible trend crossovers.

• Share all intelligence with concerned watch commanders, gang supervisors and other specialized unit supervisors.

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Patrol Proliferation Efforts

• Provide Patrol Officers Of Hazard Locations (i.e., disruptive Areas, narcotics locations, information on threats, and areas affected by crime spikes).

• Ensure patrol efforts are target specific. Through the use of surveillance, warrants, and crime suppression efforts.

• Ensure efforts to focus on quality of life issues.

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Patrol Proliferation Efforts (Continued)

• Ensure officers are sharing information,focus on areas of violent trends, target gang loitering areas.

• Ensure Officers are trained regarding Gang Injunction efforts.

• Ensure officers effectively pass on the information to provide a consistent presence.

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Use Of Partner Resources To Target Crime

• Other Department Units

• Other Agencies (City and County)

• Parole and Probation

• FBI, ATF and DEA Task Force Groups

• City Attorney Neighborhood Prosecution

• Building and Safety

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Use Of Partner Resources To Target Crime (Continued)

• Code Enforcement

• CGIA or NARCO Officers Association

• Department of Children Services

• Housing Department

• Homeland Security

• LARGIN and LA CLEAR

• Many Local, State, and Federal Task Forces

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• Contact LASO Regarding Custody Visitors, Mail, Phone Calls.

• Contact Prison Agents Regarding Mail, Shot Callers, Letters.

• Our Information Should Come Directly From Those Working The Problem Not Second Hand.

• Provide Jail personnel with street trends.

Prison And Jail Gang Information Is Beneficial

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Parole/Probation Resources

• Attend Monthly release meetings.

• Generate a list of releases and pass on to each area.

• Disseminate violent offender information to robbery, gang and homicide detectives.

• Complete a parole/probation sweep once a month of new violent offender releases.

• Obtain gang correspondence from mail intercepts and distribute accordingly.

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What Is Intervention?

• Intervention approaches focus on helping young people get out and stay out of gangs.

• To be effective, these approaches must identify at-risk young people.

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Operations South Bureau 21st Century Policing

A program for gang intervention to be developed by school leaders,

community leaders and LAPD

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Key Ideas From The Connie Rice Report

• 75% of youth gang homicides occur in LA County.

• Crime suppression strategies must be linked to prevention, intervention and community-stabilizing activities.

• Approaches must address the precursors that originate in the home, such as domestic violence, negative parenting, and tolerance of gang culture.

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More Ideas

• Carefully defined programs designed to address circumstances of gangs and gang-specific risk factors should be developed.

• Programs must also be aimed at providing sufficient resources to those who want an exit from gang life.

• LAUSD will have to become an asset in violence reduction strategies to prevent and interrupt campus violence.

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Multi-faceted Initiatives

• Develop A Plan For Intervention That Addresses Key Reasons For Youth-gang Membership.

• Develop A Network Of Community Leaders, School Leaders And Police.

• Develop A Structure For Implementation That Allows Plans To Move Forward.

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Comprehensive Concepts

• There is a direct connection between school failure and gang involvement.

• Many young people are looking for alternatives to gangs: job placement, trade schools, after-school programs.

• Illiteracy makes being trained in marketable skills impossible.

• Need For Rehabilitation Of Returning Prisoners Must Be Confronted.

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Community Awareness

• We should centralize and coordinate programs as well as resources to make them readily available.

• Humanize police so community can relate to officers.

• Programs must emphasize integrity, discipline, self-esteem, and life skills.

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Group Activity

• Divide into sub-committees.

• Discuss ideas presented and develop 1 or 2 activities or programs.

• Come back together and present your ideas to the larger group.

• We will meet again to present a completed plan and make decisions about implementation.

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Los Angeles Police Department Operations South Bureau

BE SAFE BE SAFE