Crime in Los Angeles - Crips and Bloods Feud

Crips and Bloods Feud

After the FBI cracked down on black political organizations in the late 1960s, a social vacuum formed among black adolescents living in South Central Los Angeles. Into this vacuum, came two new gangs: the Crips and the Bloods. Conflict between the two rival gangs arose immediately. In the next 40 years, fighting between the two gangs took 5 times as many lives as the long running sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. The continuing cause of the feud is best expressed as a "kill or be killed" culture described by T. Rodgers, co-founder of the Bloods, as "You better respect me. You better fear me." Speaking in a 2007 film documentary, a former Crip, named Pete, who survived to his middle years, said,

These wars go farther back than most of these kids been around. A lot of 'em not sure about why the war was goin' on. They STARTED DOIN' WHAT WAS BEIN' DONE.

The problem began with poverty and segregation, but has worsened with drugs, family separation and parental incarceration. The key to improving things, according to mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, is education.