The Impact of Gang Databases on

Youth of Color

Tracked and

TrappedPO Box 73688, L.A., CA 90003 / www.youth4justice.org / freelanow@yahoo.com

THE CALGANG DATABASE IS ROOTED IN L.A.’S 164-YEAR-LONG

WARON

GANGS

1848 California and the Southwest is annexed into U.S. through illegal war against Mexico.

L.A. : Is the only region west of Texas to side with the Confederacy. Gains reputation as nation’s most violent city with one murder per day by 1870. The homicide rate between 1847 and 1870 averaged 158 per 100,000, which was 10 to 20 times the annual murder rates for New York City during the same period. If we had the same homicide rate today, we’d have 600,000 murders a year. French send troops to protect their citizens.By 1871, half of businesses are gambling halls, saloons or houses of prostitution, most with political or law enforcement ownership or involvement. Corruption is the norm in L.A.’s police force until the Parker administration of the 1960s. The Marshall’s Office is funded by enslavement of indigenous population.L.A.’s first jail is established (chain and a log.)

L.A.’S WAR ON GANGSSTARTS IN 1848:

L.A. has the highest lynching rate of any region in the country. the victims are largely Californios - now seen since the war as Mexicans struggling to reclaim land and livestock taken through the war. First use of gang profiling – “bandido/bandit” – to criminalize groups. Los Angeles had several active Vigilance Committees during that era. Between 1850 and 1870, mobs carried out approximately 35 lynchings of Mexicans—more

than four times the number that occurred in San Francisco. Los Angeles was described as "undoubtedly thetoughest town of the entire nation.

1871 – Chinese Massacre is L.A.’s first of many “riots,” all of which are led by law enforcement or happen in response to police brutality. A shootout between Tong factions leads to the death of a popular white

chicken rancher. A mob of 200-500 Whites and Latinos led by local government and law enforcement leads to the lynching of 19 Chinese men and the burning down of Chinatown. Vigilante mobs and state sanctioned

murder typifies L.A.’s “justice” system throughout 1800s and early 1900s.

1881 - The L.A. Times is founded by Otis Harrison, and both he and the paper are a leading voice in L.A..’spower structure which establishes L.A. as nearly all-white and union free by 1900.

Throughout the 1900s, the war on gangs continued. L.A. has more “riots” than any other region of the country - all are either led by law enforcement or military against the community or represent a community response police violence. confiscation of all savings, businesses the most famous of which was the Sleepy Lagoon Trial and Sailor (a.k.a. Zoot Suit) Riots where “fear of gangs” was used to criminalize and incarcerate youth of color.

THE BACKLASH AGAINST

POWER

YOUTH

OUT OF L.A. CAME THE BUILDERS OF SCHOOL DE-FUNDING AND MASS INCARCERATION

THESE POLICIES ALSO CAME OUT OF L.A.:Nixon’s Law and Order backlash after 60s movements creates a massive jump in incarceration. NIXON DECLARES WAR ON DRUGS. The prison population increases 600% in 20 years. California and L.A. lead the worldin incarceration and harsh sentencing, including creation of adult court transfers, JLWOP, Prop 21 and Prop 9 - all are written and financed from L.A.; Three Strikes is financed from L.A. Howard Jarvis and Ronald Reagan lead anti-tax movement (Prop 13), the “war on drugs” and war on welfare, and mental health de-institutionalization without community services, all lead to massive increase in homelessness and further incarceration. L.A. creates “planned Skid Row” to force homeless into downtown isolation. Chief Parker introduces military-style policing and brings National Guard into Watts in ‘65. Gates takes militarization further by creating nation’s first SWAT and CRASH (gang).’92 Gates also created DARE.U.S. fuels wars against rebellions in Central America. In the 80s, LAPD and Sheriffs work with U.S. military to teach counter-guerilla tactics, interrogation and torture against civilians. In the 90s and 00s, they return to teach gang suppression when people are deported - (the greatest number from L.A.) 2007 - Jordan Downs is first community in the U.S. to get internet-based surveillance system. L.A. and Riverside first to use GPS monitoring to track people with gang convictions returning home from prison.

IN L.A. :

SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE U.S. STRATEGY INCLUDED FLOODING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WITH DRUGS LEADING TO A RELIANCE

ON AN UNDERGROUND DRUG ECONOMY

BY THE 1980s, YOUTH ARE LABELED

SUPER

PREDATORS

Even though John DiLulio, the researcher who created the term later apologized for his flawed research.

In the 1980s, Los Angeles County built the nation’s first comprehensive gang suppression policies:

[1] Gang injunctions - first started in Pomona and West Covina in 1983 - the ability to lock down a neighborhood and arrest people if they are on the street with another alleged gang member - Including family - out past curfew, or carrying a cell phone.

[2] In 1985, L.A. established CLEAR [Community Law Enforcement and Recovery] first multi-agency task force and joint code enforcement effort targeting street gangs.

[3] In 1987, the L.A. County Sheriffs Department created the first gang database - a computerized file that labeled people as “gang members” without their knowledge, without any chance to appeal, and without clear way to get off. (4) The statewide STEP (Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention) Act in ‘88, the nation’s first law targeting street gangs, first gang definition, first language referring to gang members as “terrorists,” first gang enhancements in court, and took database statewide to create the CalGang Database.

For most people, getting added to the CalGang Database begins with a police officer

stopping them on the street or in school, asking questions, and taking pictures

of them and identifying characteristics

(such as scars and tattoos.) During the stop, the

police fill out an F.I. card - known as a

“field information card.” Some

departments refer to

this as a field identification card.

An officer trained in

CalGangs - either

the officer who

made the stop or

another officer

they hand the

information off to -

determines whether or

not to add the person and

the information collected

onto CalGangs.

[1] CalGang is a secret police surveillance tool.

People (and their parents) are not notified, they have no process tochallenge/appeal the label anddepartments have no standard processfor removing people. If you are removed,that is also kept secret from you.

[2] Whenever the person comes into contactwith law enforcement in the state - and increasinglyIn the nation - they will come up as a “known gangmember.”

[2] Criteria to be added to the CalGangDatabase includes that the person meettwo of the following: a. admits “gang membership”or association; b. is observed to be associating on with “known” gang members; c. has tattoos “indicatingmembership;” wears clothing, symbols, etc. to identifywith a specific gang; is in a photograph with “known gangmembers” or with gang signs; name is on a “gang document,hit list or gang related graffiti; is identified as a gang memberby a “reliable source;” is arrested in the company of knowngang members or associates; corresponds with known gangmembers or associates and/or receives correspondence about gang activities; writes about gang(s) on walls, books, paper, etc.

Through submission of a Public Records Act request, the Youth Justice Coalition just released the first-ever data on who is on the CalGang database:

201,094 people are currently on CalGangs. 94.8% are male. Twenty percent are African American; 66% are Latino. The database includes youth as young as ten.

The population of L.A. County makes up 27% of California; but L.A. makes up 40% of the people on the CalGang database.

Results of L.A.’s (Most Recent)

Multi-Billion $ Gang War?

Results of L.A.’s Most Recent Multi-Billion $ Gang War?

• After 30 years, L.A. has 6 times as many alleged gangs and at least twice as many alleged gang members.• In 30 years, there are more than 100,000

shooting victims in South Central and Watts alone.• In West L.A., 1 in 78,000 young men are

victims of homicide.• In East L.A. it’s 1 in 6,100.• In South L.A., it’s 1 in 2,200.• L.A. County leads the nation and the

world in detention, incarceration and deportation>

• One in 3 African American males is under the custody of the state.• African Americans are 11% of L.A.’s population,

but 36% of detention and prison population.• Latinos in L.A. serve five times longer sentences

for the same crimes as whites.• Latino youth are five times more likely, and

African American youth 18.3 times more likely to receive life without parole than white youth.

We have exportedthe street organizations, the violence and the suppression

policies nationwide and internationally.

L.A.’s WAR ON GANGS FUELED CALIFORNIA’S ADDICTION TO INCARCERATION

IN THE EARLY 80s, CALIFORNIA STARTED TO

RAPIDLY EXPAND THE BUILDING OF PRISONS

AND CUT THE BUDGET TO EVERYTHING ELSE.

DURING THAT SAME TIME, CALIFORNIA BUILT ONE UC AND

TWO CAL STATE UNIVERSITIES.

California used to be #1 in school

spending and had one of the

best school systems

in the world. Now, California is #1 in prison

spending, and with this

year’s budget cuts,

dropped from #47 to #50 in

school spending.

South and East L.A. lead the nation in

school overcrowding,

low test scores and drop-out/push-out

rates with only 40%

of students graduating.

Just

1%

of L.A.’s Courts, Police, Sheriffs’ District Attorney’s, Probation’s and City Attorney’s Budgets would pay for: 500 full-time gang intervention workers; 50 youth centers open from 3pm - midnight, 365 days a year; and 25,000 youth jobs!

Job and Cost Comparisons Between Law Enforcement and Intervention