Gang violence is something that haven’t been going around for a very long time. It started back in the 1920’s. African American gangs began in California during the 1920s. They were not territorial, but they were loose associations, unorganized, and rarely violent. They did not identify with graffiti, monikers, or other gang characteristics. These early gangs consisted generally of family members and neighborhood friends who involved themselves in certain criminal activities designed to make a tough guy image and to provide an easy means of getting money. From 1955 to 1965, the African American gangs increased with larger memberships and operated primarily in south central Los Angeles and Compton. This was partly due to more African American youths bonding together for protection from rival gangs. …show more content…
The Crips began forming in southeast Los Angeles by terrorizing local neighborhoods and schools with assaults and strong-arm robberies. They developed a reputation for being the fiercest and feared gang in the Los Angeles area. Other African American gangs formed at about the same time to protect themselves from the Crips. One such gang was the Bloods, which originated in and around the Piru Street area in Compton, California; thus, some Bloods gangs are referred to as Piru gangs. The Bloods, which were outnumbered at the time by the Crips three to one, became the second, most vicious African American gang in the Los Angeles area. Both the Crips and Bloods eventually divided into numerous, smaller gangs or sets during the 1970s. They kept the Crips' and Bloods Piru name, spread throughout Los Angeles County, and began to claim certain neighborhoods as their territory. Their gang rivalry became vicious and