NCJ Number
123185
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Fall 1989) Pages: 12-15
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Citizens and law enforcement officials in Los Angeles have had many years of experience in confronting gang problems and have learned that a combination of prevention and intervention strategies are the most effective approaches.
Abstract
The violence in the Los Angeles street gangs has been escalating in recent years. The gangs have also spread from the inner city to traditionally upper-middle-class neighborhoods in the suburbs of Los Angeles and to at least 49 other cities. Drugs, especially crack, provide a major inducement to join a gang. However, youths also join the gang to receive acceptance, recognition, and a sense of belonging or to relieve boredom. Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles recognize that prevention is the only real solution. They have targeted younger children with gang and drug prevention programs. They have also developed coordinated diversion, apprehension, and prosecution of current gang members, including controversial police sweeps in individual neighborhoods. Experts also agree that schools and communities have a crucial role in the prevention effort. They urge that schools focus on enhancing children's self-esteem and teaching better communication skills and that community members express strong disapproval of gang activities, paint over graffiti as soon as it appears, and work in cooperation with other groups to identify and address their communities' problems.