Gang-Related Crimes Rise 187% in First Half of 1989

Gang-related crime in the San Fernando Valley nearly tripled during the first six months of the year, according to Los Angeles Police Department statistics.

But while authorities said the statistics show a growing gang problem in the Valley, they cautioned that the higher numbers also reflect the department’s improved ability to identify gang involvement in crimes.

Gang crimes, ranging from witness intimidation to murder, rose from 201 reports in the first six months of 1988 to 578 reports in the first half of this year, police said. However, Valley gang crimes accounted for only 16% of the 3,561 gang-related crimes citywide.

Detective Cliff Ruff, head of anti-gang enforcement in the Valley, said the 187% increase in the region, primarily led by major jumps in felony assaults and robberies, was due to many factors. The statistics reflected all crimes committed by gang members, even those where gang membership was not a motivation, he said.

More Accurate Reporting

“1988 was the year of the gang,” Ruff said. “Every patrol officer went through gang awareness training. So we have more accurate reporting of gang crimes this year. A lot of our crimes of violence are also associated with rock cocaine.

“But also we flat out have more gang members.”

Comparison of crimes between the first six months of 1988 and 1989 showed that homicides rose from 11 to 15, felony assaults rose from 116 to 350 and robberies went from 27 to 145, according to the department report.

The department also reported that incidents of shooting into an occupied dwelling rose from two to nine. While there were no gang-related kidnapings in the first half of 1988, there were two this year. Rapes involving gang members rose from one to four during the period, arson went from one to two, battery on a police officer rose from four to 11, and cases of witness intimidation rose from two to five.

Only attempted murders dropped during the period, from 37 in 1988 to 35 this year, the report says.

With the crime increase, police also reported a 25% increase in the number of identified gang members whose names are contained in department files. At the end of last year, there were about 6,000 gang members on file, Ruff said. He estimated that officers have added 1,500 names to the files this year.

Better Identification

Again, Ruff said, the increase reflects better identification of gang members as well as increased membership in the Valley. Citywide, the department has about 30,000 gang members on file.

Although authorities said the Valley is still well behind the central and south areas of the city in gang crime, the increase has raised concerns. Citywide, the number of gang-related crimes increased 41% between the first six months of 1988 and 1989.

The Valley gang crime problem “is not as significant as problems on the other side of the hill,” Cmdr. Chet Spencer said. “But the increase is alarming. We don’t want to downplay it. We are going to respond and deal with it on a number of fronts.”

Reach Young People

He said the department plans to continue its focus on programs to reach young people in school and through churches and other activities before they join gangs.

“Prevention is absolutely needed,” he said. “We have to identify young, prospective gang members and reach them first.”

Ruff said that each of the five police divisions in the Valley averages less than two gang crimes each day and that the present number of officers assigned to gang details is adequate.

“Right now it is a manageable problem,” Ruff said. “We are looking at future preventive programs. We have to prevent the future enlistment” of gang members.