Violence decreases with gang truce

Article Abstract:

The level of violence has decreased in South Central Los Angeles in the wake of a truce between the two major gangs, the Crips and the Bloods. Officials at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services are skeptical, but a local emergency physician says he is treating much fewer gunshot wounds than before the riots. Seventy trauma victims were treated in Jun 1992, down from 120 in Jan 1992. Police reports indicate that the number of drive-by shootings and gang-related homicides dropped significantly between May and June of 1992, compared to the same period in 1991. Residents are angry over remarks made by government officials insinuating that violence in blacks has a biological, rather than a social, basis. The riots broke out when white police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. The Christopher Commission, formed shortly after the beating, found extensive evidence of police brutality and harassment in the Los Angeles Police Department.

Statistics, Violent crimes, Crime, Gangs

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CDC investigators explore new territory in aftermath of unrest in Los Angeles

Article Abstract:

A team from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) visited Los Angeles shortly after the riots died down. Its members believe that violence might be prevented by teaching young people to avoid situations that might lead to violence. In addition, they think that emergency room doctors might be able to identify young people at risk for violent behavior and refer them to a treatment program. But community leaders are skeptical about solutions proposed by outsiders that proceed from the top down. They say that violence arises out of unemployment, racism and hopelessness, and that these issues must be addressed before violence can be cured as if it were a disease. One physician who practices in South Central Los Angeles says we must eliminate institutional racism, help our own citizens before helping other countries, invest in education and jobs, provide health care to all and eliminate media stereotypes.

Social policy, United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Health care injustice fuels rage, riots

Article Abstract:

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' Task Force on Health Care Access met the week after the Rodney King riots in LA, but critics point to the fact that blacks and minorities and the doctors who care for them are not represented on the task force. Twenty-seven percent of the residents of Los Angeles county are uninsured, and fewer doctors are accepting MediCal, the state's Medicaid program. At least 30,000 jobs were lost as businesses burned, and former employees lost their health insurance. In addition, eight doctor's offices, 66 pharmacies and several drug treatment centers burned. Several medical centers that were built after the 1965 Watts riots have been successful because those who would benefit from their services participated in their planning. Future riots could be prevented by encouraging blacks and minorities to become involved in health care issues.

Medical care, Political aspects, Medically uninsured persons, California

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