Are Black vs. Brown race tensions driving homicide?
A note to readers: This portion of the FAQ was written in 2007, and all figures should be taken in that context. We will attempt to update this document with more current information as time allows.No. A few high-profile cases, including the suspected racially motivated killing of 14-year-old Cheryl Green in LAPD’s Harbor Division, have fueled speculation of rising racial conflict in L.A. But among detectives and police officers who deal daily with homicides, the prevailing view is that the race problem–for now, anyway–remains marginal. “I don’t think it’s there,” says Watts homicide Det. Chris Barling. Det. John Radtke, a South-Central homicide investigator, agrees. “We don’t see it happening,” he says. Statistics back them up. Take the four most violent Los Angeles police precincts–Newton, 77th Street, Southwest and Southeast. These racially mixed divisions cover South-Central Los Angeles and surrounding areas and consistently rank highest in homicides among the 19 LAPD precincts.
