lourdes r. morales undergraduate research opportunities program university of california, irvine may...
TRANSCRIPT
Lourdes R. MoralesUndergraduate Research Opportunities Program
University of California, Irvine
May 16, 2009
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Elliott Currie
I. IntroductionII. Statement of the ProblemIII. Research QuestionsIV. Literature ReviewV. MethodsVI. FindingsVII. Policy RecommendationsVIII. AcknowledgementsIX. Questions
Impact of Gangs
o Prevalent in many different communities
o Participate in criminal activities
o Destabilize communities
Gangs and gang violence are pervasive in Los Angeles, California. o 720 identified gangso 39,000 gang members
oDecrease in serious crime, but 14% increase in gang related crime
oSouth Los Angeles saw a 25% increase in gang related violence
(Gang Reduction Strategy,
2008)
What is the nature of the relationship between GED officers and gang members?
How do GED officers interact with gang members? What role does the behavior and/or demeanor of the gang member play?
Discretion Officer’s use of discretion is not arbitrary but rather a result of well
defined, yet informal, rules (Stroshine, Alpert, & Dunham, 2008)
The code of science Intended to elicit feelings of loyalty and comradery among
officers, but can also serve to insulate officers and facilitate the use of excessive force (Skolnick, 2008)
The role of morality Officer disposition is largely based on officers’ discretionary
evaluation of juveniles’ commitment to deviant behavior (Piliavin & Briar, 1964)
Gaps in literature
Site ◦LAPD 77th Street Division◦South L.A., California◦11.9 square mile area◦175,000 residents
Participants ◦Gang Enforcement
Detail (GED) Officers
Research Design ◦Qualitative case study
Procedure◦ Interview n=12
◦Observation n=3
Data Analysis ◦Recurring themes and trends
What is the nature of the relationship between GED officers and gang members?
◦Surveillance and intelligence Intervention and rehabilitation Arrest: “Catch the big fish”
How do GED officers interact with gang members? What role does the behavior and/or demeanor of the gang member play?
◦Discretion Cooperative gang members Uncooperative gang members
“I think tax payers money is better spent if I’m looking for the crook instead of dealing with a few guys drinking on the street.” -GED Officer
How do GED officers interact with gang members? What role does the behavior and/or demeanor of the gang member play?
◦Differing perspectives on the role of GED Public safety
Community outreach
“I know when [a gang member] gets out [of jail] he’ll be right back on the streets, but at least for those months he wasn’t out committing crimes… When he does something again, we’ll get him.” -GED Officer
Use of surveillance and intelligence information for intervention and rehabilitation ◦Collaboration between the police department,
education system, and social services
Cultivate greater support in community outreach
LAPD’s 77th Street Division GED Officers
Dr. Elliott Currie
Dr. Kristen Day
UROP