Which Way, L.A.?

Street Gangs Go International

Host:

Warren Olney

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The Los Angeles Police Department is hosting an international summit on gang violence. We talk with the Chief and others about the spread of gangs, their impact around the world and the limits of law enforcement.

Los Angeles street gangs have spread all over the US. Now, they've become an international phenomenon, moving back and forth across borders--especially to Mexico and Central America--to terrorize neighborhoods and commit crimes, including extortion and murder. For the next three days, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton is hosting an international summit on what to do. His counterparts from Mexico, El Salvador, Belize and Honduras along with the LA Sheriff's Department, FBI, DEA, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are all in attendance. We hear how extortion and murder migrate across the borders. Can law enforcement agencies learn how to cooperate? Will they ever be more than a temporary solution?

Guests:

William Bratton: Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
Rich Valdemar: retiree from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department
Alex Sanchez: former gang member
Tony Rafael: gang expert

Underwriters

Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.

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