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Gang Populations
Los Angeles County & City

Gang Arrest by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations

Gang arrest by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. Courtesy of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.

Also see Gang-Related Crime in Los Angeles & Los Angeles County

Despite Los Angeles County's label as the "Gang Capital of the United States, gang population estimates for anywhere in Los Angeles County and gang-related crime statistics have not been forthcoming in recent years. In fact, the last estimates of any sort for Los Angeles County were released in 2007. In 2000, a 2000 U.S. Department of Justice report stated that Los Angeles County had more than 1,300 gangs with more than 150,000 members. Within the City of Los Angeles, a 2007 City of Los Angeles report stated that there were more than 400 separate gangs and an estimated 39,000 members of these gangs. Of these, more than half were Latino. Since the time of these reports, veteran journalist and author Sam Quinnones stated in a 2015 interview with L.A. Taco that declining front-page gang activity in Los Angeles was due to gangs becoming more discreet, disillusionment and falling trust by members in gang leadership and priorities, aggressive gang injunctions and RICO prosecutions and new community policing strategies.

City of Los Angeles Gang Populations
for December by Year

(LAPD has not release these statistics since 2005)

Year Hispanic Crip Blood Asian Stoner* White Total
2005 Gangs 246 113 45 32 16 11 463
Members 21,790 10,792 4,416 839 537 600 38,974
2004 Gangs 246 113 45 32 16 11 463
Members 22,514 10,187 4,205 1,117 752 791 39,566
2003 Gangs 204 107 43 32 16 5 407
Members 28,827 11,661 4,620 1,599 656 926 48,289
2002 Gangs 204 107 43 32 16 5 407
Members 30,517 12,016 4,700 1,701 704 859 50,497
2001 Gangs 204 107 43 32 16 5 407
Members 33,762 13,109 5,317 1,749 787 661 55,385
2000 Gangs 204 107 43 32 16 5 407
Members 36,071 13,186 5,377 1,728 808 190 57,360
Year Hispanic Crip Blood Asian Stoner* White Total
1999 Gangs 204 107 43 32 16 5 407
Members 38,554 15,137 6,032 2,028 867 164 62,782
1998 Gangs 205 107 43 32 16 5 408
Members 35,025 13,848 5,661 1,847 792 101 57,274
1997 Gangs 204 107 43 32 16 5 407
Members 39,991 15,415 5,532 2,048 752 691 64,429
1996 Gangs 204 106 43 32 16 5 406
Members 38,895 14,771 5,292 1,973 729 640 62,300
1995 Gangs 203 105 43 31 16 5 403
Members 36508 13906 4941 1767 705 532 58,359
1994 Gangs 202 104 42 29 16 5 398
Members 32,886 12,905 4,580 1,628 685 439 53,123
1993 Gangs 208 109 45 35 17 4 418
Members 35,865 16,450 5,494 2.428 739 387 61,362

*Usually teenagers of various races/ethnicities, who listen to metal or gothic music
Source: Los Angeles Police Department