L.A. now leads U.S. in murders

Los Angeles Daily News ^ | 20 November 2002 | Jason Kandel

[uncbob]

Majority of murder victims are criminals
Who cares except for the innocent people that sometimes get caught in the crossfire

[BIGZ]

INTERNECINE!

What a great word.

[ZOOKER]

Can't we all just...get along?

[jlogajan]

Although Los Angeles has the highest number of murders, Detroit and Philadelphia have slightly higher homicide rates per capita.

Slightly?!?!?!? Detroit has twice the rate of homicides per capita.

[marktwain]

A couple of years ago, I was talking with a police friend of mine, and we were discussing the gang problem. He has a degree in criminology, and he said the actual number of hardcore gang members is a few thousand.

The numbers tend to be inflated, just like the street value of seized drugs...because it makes for larger police budgets. Think of predator to prey ratio. The L.A. polilce have an unofficial motto "We are the biggest baddest gang in town", and they are only a few thousand, in the home of street gangs, supported by tax dollars.

I realize this is not the best, most precise, source, but it is what I remember, and it makes sense to me.