Deep Blue cities in America offer up a plethora of opportunities for crime movies, end of the world stories, war torn destroyed cities movies, foreign cities, etc.
There are two movies that come to mind where the film crews had to secure “protection” from the street gangs.
Candyman: Filmed at the Cabrini Green projects
The producers had to pay “protection” money to the gang.
American Me: The Mexican Mafia gang threatened Edward James Olmos for a portraying a gang rape (loosely based on the Mexican Mafia prison gang). Two Mexican Mafia consultants for the film were shot after the release. Two other street gangs negotiated a truce to allow filming on their turf.