Gang Violence in LA

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/massive-raid-in-glassell-park-snags-44-avenues-gang-members.html

Police arrested 44 "Avenues" gang members last night in a sweep of Glassell Park. Our neighborhood of Mt. Washington sits between Glassell Park, Highland Park and Eagle Rock, all turf of the Avenues gangs. I had heard about the Avenues in the past, but never having witnessed much gang violence in our area, I figured they were small time hoodlums. Apparently I was wrong. According to this article, the Avenues are serious drug dealers with connections to the Mexican mafia.

Now, even though we live two minutes away from the streets where these arrests were made, our neighborhood is one of the more peaceful and quiet areas you'll find within the city of Los Angeles. Mt. Washington is essentially a big hill that rises up from the valley where these other neighborhoods are located. It's one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and it's managed to maintain a few nice open spaces for parks and trails. Moreover, the streets in Mt. Washginton are so steep and winding that there is no foot traffic from the lower area. Because of the views and the relative exclusivity, the houses get nicer the further up the hill you go. The houses on the very top of Mt. Washington are absolutely stunning, with panoramic views of downtown, Hollywood, and the snow-capped mountains to the north. Strange though, that if you look directly down from these multi-million dollar homes, you'll see neighborhoods controlled by Mexican drug dealers. It's a typical example of life in Los Angeles, where the rich people literally live above the poor folks, only a few blocks away.