Watts Gang Task Force


The Watts Gang Task Force is a community-based group that was created to reduce gang related crime in the Watts, Los Angeles, California and improve community-police relations in the area.

History

In December 2005, over a 31-day period, violence in the Watts community escalated. There were 18 gang related shootings, seven of which were homicides. Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn called a meeting of community leaders, the Los Angeles Police Department, school representatives, service providers, gang intervention workers, and city departments and facilitated by Patricia Villasenor of the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, to see how, together, they could stop the violence and improve police and community relations. This was the beginning of the Watts Gang Task Force. Since that first meeting in January 2006, the task force has met every Monday in Councilwoman Hahn's Watts office, and facilitated by the Human Relations Commission.

Activities

The greater Watts area has one of the highest concentrations of gangs within Los Angeles County. LAPD estimates that there are at least 59 known and active gangs in the Southeast Division. Specifically, the Watts/Southeast GRYD contains an estimated 14 known and active African American and Latino gangs, of which three are Blood cliques, eight are Crips cliques, and three are Latino cliques. The most active gangs in the GRYD according to law enforcement are African American gangs, due to the longstanding rivalries between the Bloods and the Crips, and the dominant gangs within the public housing developments.

Gangs

Crip GangsBlood GangsLatino Gangs--------
Grape Street Watts CripsBounty Hunter BloodsWatts Varrio Grape StreetEast Coast CripHacienda Village BoysMorton Town StonersBack St Watts Crips
Front St Watts Crips		Miller Bloods5th and Hill-
Nut Hood Watts CripsBebop BloodsWatts Varrio Locotes 13Elm Street Watts
Morton Town Watts		Twilight Zone CripsAthens ParkElm Street Watts112th NeighborhoodCircle City PiruIvy Street
Avalon Gangster CripsVillage Boys--------
120th St Hustlers CripsFamily Swan BloodsSuicidal--------
Pee Jay watts Crips9 Deuce BishopsColonia Weigand--------
118 Holmes st cripsSouthside Watts--------
92 hat gangKILLING MOB 13 WATTS Krazy Mexican Town KMT-------
7 STR wattsNut Hood Watts 13--------
99 watts mafiaHickory st watts 13--------