Are we the gang capital of the world?

Posted by Alex Alonso on Mar 6th, 2007 and filed under Lies I Heard. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Kevin James, LA radio host

Kevin James, LA radio host

Alex Alonso
March 6, 2007

Los Angeles was given the title, gang capital of the US back in 1988 by Tom Brokaw on a gang documentary. I am not sure if another person preceded Mr. Brokaw with this title, but since then it as stuck, but is that title appropriate for Los Angeles?

Los Angeles, California represents the “biggest” in nearly everything, being the largest city in the most populated State, LA is the capital for everything, including pollution, cars, traffic, guns, illegal immigration, population, etc. So saying that Los Angeles is the gang capital of the US is only true because of the actual numbers, but on a per capita examination, the City of Chicago has more murders and has consistently had more murders related to gangs since 1992, more so than Los Angeles and New York.

The lie I heard was by 790 KABC host Kevin James that Los Angeles is the “gang capital of the world” which is completely untrue. There are so many countries that are plagued with more violent gang activity throughout the world such as Jamaica, South Africa, El Salvador, and Brazil to name a few. Of course he cites absolutely no person or offers no statistics on that claim, but many of his listeners most likely believe this false statement. Although I have used the phrase, “gang capital of the country,” I say this with 100% certainty that Los Angeles is not the “gang capital of the world” and anyone who says so is either ignorant or spewing propaganda.

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14 Responses for “Are we the gang capital of the world?”

  1. George Ran says:

    I hear this guy on the radio whenever I can't sleep and he is an illegal immigrant hater. He is definitely hiding his racist feeling againt Mexicans in the name of illegal immigration.

  2. Hector Muriel says:

    You can't realy believe everything this guy says. I am sure he does not beleive some of what he says, but that's what he does.

  3. 8teen streeter/ aKa StS says:

    datz right homies california is the main land of the mexican barrios…fucken 18th street rifa muthafuckers, its bk and some cks..long beach putos 2 sc la w/s to ss..wuzzup up[!

  4. Big M says:

    KABC just got rid of this guy

  5. Arch angel Socrates says:

    Kevin James will be back, bigger and better than ever. He will go global on satellite. You can't suppress the light!

  6. Mark says:

    Um… Alexalonso, your own posting indicates that Kevin James is exactly right in his claim that LA is the "gang capital of the world" – as your response cites and compares LA to "countries…Jamaica, South Africa, Elsalvador…" But LA is a CITY! And as a CITY, it is the gang capital of the world, so it is correct to say that "Los Angeles is the gang capital of the world". Furthermore, using your own logic, the USA as a COUNTRY is the gang capital of the world – thus LA, being the gang capital of the US (your own admission), as a CITY, it is, by extension, the gang capital of the world. So, again using your logic, the lie is YOURS – not Kevin's.

  7. Shawn Tomlin says:

    im lovin da sites…:L:L:L

    r they r18+ sites or sumin??

    fanx for ur time..

  8. Oscar M says:

    Kevin James will probably be on satellite radio, but he does not have what it takes for a large city like Los Angeles or New York. You can immigrant bash, or should I say illegal immigrant bash in a city like Los Angeles, and his replacement, Peter Tilden, is a billion percent better and more talented. I am listening to him right now.

  9. Alex Alonso says:

    To Mark,

    If Chicago has more gang members per capita, then you can't even call Los Angeles the gang capital of the country. Now when I mention countries like El Salvador, Jamaica, and South Africa, I should say the cities, San Salvador, Kingston, and Johannesburg. And I could mention many other cities who crime rate from gangs is far worse than anything Los Angeles has ever seen. So again, it is completely wrong, and misleading to call Los Angeles the gang capital of the world, and I have reservations about calling it the gang capital of the country with cities like Detroit, D.C., Baltimore, Chicago.

  10. Walker says:

    Quite right Alex. I don't know if you've heard of a series called 'Ross Kemp on Gangs' shown here in the UK, but Ross went to L.A. on his latest episode and guess what? He called Los Angeles "the gang capital of the world" twice at the start of the programme!!! This is a man who's been to far more murderous and gang-infested cities in Central and South America, the Caribbean and South Africa, so don't ask me why he makes this bizarre assertion.

    It's a popular series and he has a great opportunity to demystify popular misconceptions such as L.A. being a particularly violent place, instead he just feeds the same sensationalist bullcrap that's demonized the city for many years.

    Talk about dumbing down for the masses.

  11. beder says:

    free vido

  12. beder6628 says:

    sexy

  13. [...] radio, while offering no intelligent dialogue on the issues that are most important to Angelenos. His views on street LA gangs, Special Order 40, and the Mayor are almost always wrong, and he got a history lesson from Chris [...]

    • CRITIC says:

      LA is the “Hollywood” version of gang capitol of the world
      gangs in LA are propped up by the media and hollywood
      gangs in LA don’t compare in ruthlessness and viciousness like touse in South Africa’s cities, or Brazil, or even those in El Salvador/San Salvador.

      LA is a disneyland gang world, more hype than anything.. its made up of a lot of flash and fronting.. it lives in a glamour world.. shoes, bling bling, nice rides, a clean look, there’s no poverty in LA like there is in other cities with a real gang problem. Street Gangs in LA are more about showing off and playing politics. Few are the real gangsters and killers, the vast majority don’t even want to get scuff marks on their shoes.. the vast majority can’t even throw down, that’s why they do drive-by’s, instead of getting up close and personal. Flashing gang signs and acting tough is what they do best. LA is the cleanest looking gang capitol, i tell you. Its a hollywood made gang capitol.. it serves a purpose for those up there in power.. those in power created it, and they profit off of it. Every section of the city/county has some gang in it, but what type? How hard? How many real killers in them? Most are dope heads and weekend partyers, thiefs and burglars, wanna-be’s and rankers. There’s plenty of those, so most of the news about how hardcore they are, is mostly hyped up drama for the those who buy into the manipulating scheme of things, if you get my drift!

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