What strategies are the LAPD and Sheriffs Department using to reduce gang violence?
The LAPD delivers most of its anti-gang work through “gang impact teams” based at divisions throughout the city. About 360 officers are on the teams, which gather intelligence on gangs’ criminal activities and develop cases against members. Much of the LAPD’s strategy is based on what is known as the 10% Factor, which holds that law enforcement should target the 10% of criminals who account for about half of crimes. The Sheriff’s Department’s anti-gang operation, known as the Safe Streets Bureau, is particularly active in the Compton-Lynwood areas. One of its key strategies is to focus on the “shot callers” who direct a gang’s activities. The department also operates a multi-jurisdictional clearinghouse for gang intelligence. Q: The mayoral candidates have been talking a lot about gang injunctions. What are they? Do they work? A: Gang injunctions usually focus on the few dozen blocks of a neighborhood that a gang claims as its territory. Within that area, named gang members typically a