Disaster Within Us: Urban Conflict and Street Gang Violence in Los Angeles

• NCJ Number: 156720
• Journal: Journal of Gang Research Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (Summer 1995) Pages: 11-30
• Author(s): J P Sullivan; M E Silverstein
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This paper examines the impact of street gang violence on Los Angeles County.

Abstract

One table presents the number of gang murders in Los Angeles County from 1979-91, showing the countywide total and also the breakdown of incidents that occurred in the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Department and other county areas. Another table notes the mean age of homicide victims for gang-related homicides reported to the Sheriff's Department from 1987 through 1991. A table describes gang crimes in the county for the first 6 months of 1992 (January-June). Table five illustrates violent gang confrontations for the first 6 months of 1992. It includes a total of gang versus gang confrontations, the number of recorded drive-by shootings, incidents that resulted in moderate to serious injuries, and the total number of violent felonies. Three other tables report the weapons by type used in countywide gang activity for the first 6 months of 1992; violent gang confrontations for 1989, 1990, and 1991; and the weapons involved in gang activity for the same time period. Two tables describe the relationship between the actor and the victim in gang-related homicides between 1987-91 and summarize this data and break it down by percentage of total gang-related homicides. Three chapters provide an analysis of the weapons used in gang-related homicide in the Sheriff's Department's jurisdiction for 1987-91. The final two chapters compare all homicides and gang-related homicides for 1981, 1986, and 1991 and also compare victim ethnicity for gang-related homicides with all homicides in the county. The authors conclude that modern street gang violence is a chronic, endemic form of conflict disaster. Drawing from the experience of other forms of conflict disaster, the authors define future research needs, asserting that gang victimology and epidemiology are unexplored areas within community health and disaster studies that deserve the attention of the emergency and disaster medical community. 15 tables and 8 notes