Lourdes R. Morales Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program University of California, Irvine May 16, 2009 Faculty Mentor Dr. Elliott Currie

I. Introduction II. Statement of the Problem III. Research Questions IV. Literature Review V. Methods VI. Findings VII. Policy Recommendations VIII. Acknowledgements IX. Questions

 Impact of Gangs o Prevalent in many different communities o Participate in criminal activities o Destabilize communities

 Gangs and gang violence are pervasive in Los Angeles, California. o 720 identified gangs o 39,000 gang members o Decrease in serious crime, but 14% increase in gang related crime o South Los Angeles saw a 25% increase in gang related violence (Gang Reduction Strategy, 2008)

 What is the nature of the relationship between GED officers and gang members?  How do GED officers interact with gang members? What role does the behavior and/or demeanor of the gang member play?

 Discretion  Officer’s use of discretion is not arbitrary but rather a result of well defined, yet informal, rules (Stroshine, Alpert, & Dunham, 2008)  The code of science  Intended to elicit feelings of loyalty and comradery among officers, but can also serve to insulate officers and facilitate the use of excessive force (Skolnick, 2008)  The role of morality  Officer disposition is largely based on officers’ discretionary evaluation of juveniles’ commitment to deviant behavior (Piliavin & Briar, 1964)  Gaps in literature

 Site ◦ LAPD 77 th Street Division ◦ South L.A., California ◦ 11.9 square mile area ◦ 175,000 residents  Participants ◦ Gang Enforcement Detail (GED) Officers

 Research Design ◦ Qualitative case study  Procedure ◦ Interview n=12 ◦ Observation n=3  Data Analysis ◦ Recurring themes and trends

 What is the nature of the relationship between GED officers and gang members? ◦ Surveillance and intelligence  Intervention and rehabilitation  Arrest: “Catch the big fish”

 How do GED officers interact with gang members? What role does the behavior and/or demeanor of the gang member play? ◦ Discretion  Cooperative gang members  Uncooperative gang members “I think tax payers money is better spent if I’m looking for the crook instead of dealing with a few guys drinking on the street.” -GED Officer

 How do GED officers interact with gang members? What role does the behavior and/or demeanor of the gang member play? ◦ Differing perspectives on the role of GED  Public safety  Community outreach “I know when [a gang member] gets out [of jail] he’ll be right back on the streets, but at least for those months he wasn’t out committing crimes… When he does something again, we’ll get him.” -GED Officer

 Use of surveillance and intelligence information for intervention and rehabilitation ◦ Collaboration between the police department, education system, and social services  Cultivate greater support in community outreach

 LAPD’s 77 th Street Division GED Officers  Dr. Elliott Currie  Dr. Kristen Day  UROP