Los Angeles seeks U.S. help to fight gangs

NATIONAL

Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton asked for federal help in fighting gang warfare that has reeled out of control in California's largest city, producing 35 homicides in less than three weeks.

Since dismantling its anti-gang unit last year, gang violence has soared higher in Los Angeles, which is averaging 50 homicides each month.

Bratton, who became chief in October, compared Los Angeles' gang-structure to that of the Mafioso of New York and Chicago.

Bratton planned to reassign the department's 9,000 officers to the most crime-ridden areas and to ask federal and state law enforcement agencies for help in breaking up black and Hispanic gangs whose numbers have soared past 100,000 and whose organizations reach into nearly every state through narcotics and prostitution.

Police also planned to focus on a group of recently released parolees who hit the streets in the past 18 months eager to reassert their authority, said LAPD Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell.

"Your gang situation in this city is unlike anything else in America," said Bratton.

"It will devour this city. It scares the hell out of me how sophisticated, how entrenched they are. The federal government better recognize that and put the same resources into fighting this that they did with the crime families."

Mayor James Hahn declared a state of emergency over an outburst of gang warfare and drive-by shooting incidents that accelerated the homicide rate from two daily to three.

The police chief said he planned to ask federal prosecutors to use the racketeering and tax evasion laws against gang kingpins, who, he said, direct nationwide drug, prostitution, kidnapping and extortion rings from Los Angeles.

Bratton said he would meet with Debra Yang, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, to plan a coordinated attack.

Copyright Washington Crime News Service Dec 31, 2002
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