NPR Series on LA Street Gangs

NPR recently featured a four-part series on Los Angeles street gangs that ought to be of interest to those of you who study gangs and/or law enforcement. From NPR's website:

Crime in America has been on the decline, but gang violence is increasing. Los Angeles has the most gang members per capita than any city in the world. This series zeroes in on the changing nature of Los Angeles gangs and the innovative tactics law enforcement is using to combat them.

Part 1 explores the FBI's crackdown on gang activity in MacArthur Park (Insert your own "MacArthur's park is melting in the dark" joke here.)

Part 2 looks at the incredibly complex organizational structure of gangs, including the tremendous influence and power wielded by so-called "shot callers" even while they are incarcerated.

Part 3 covers law enforcement's increasing reliance on federal charges (and, by extension, parole-free federal prison sentences) in the fight against gangs.

Part 4 examines the longevity one particularly pervasive and persistent gang -- The 18th Street gang.

While I'm on the subject of gangs, National Geographic Channel also has some good videos and information about prison gangs. The documentary Prison Nation offers an excellent overview of the contemporary U.S. prison system, including the extraordinarily high organizational level at which prison gangs operate. It is definitely worthy of consideration for use in corrections and/or gangs classes. (Bonus: the film features commentary by criminologist Joan Petersilia!) For a shorter video on prison gangs, check out "Gangs vs. Guards," a 3-minute clip about Pelican Bay, a supermax prison that houses the most dangerous, violent gang-bangers in California.