LAPD - 77th Precinct Station

If a family member, a loved one or even you have been arrested by or is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), 77th Precinct, it can cause a lot of worries.  Facing such a situation, one may need to know the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release.  It is also common to ask what evidence is required to convict one for the crime that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime. 

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is smart to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be wise to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, the most common types of crime the department investigates and just a bit about the area’s history to make one’s communication with law enforcement more informed, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful.  This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such knowledge.

This article is presented with this goal in mind.

The LAPD 77th Precinct derives its name from its location on Broadway Avenue at 77th Street and in South Central Los Angeles.  It is staffed with 335 sworn police officers and is tasked with patrolling an 11.9 square mile area an area prevalent to criminal gangs involved in the drugs trade and gang violence based on a survival mentality as opposed to a life of opportunity, ambition, wealth and luxury.  The area has a population of approximately 175,000 people and the neighborhoods of the Crenshaw District, Hyde Park, Vermont Park and Morningside Park.

The jail at the 77th Street Station, which is located underneath the station, can hold up to two hundred suspects.  It is regarded as a temporary holding facility in the sense that it will usually only hold one up to the date of one’s arraignment (which under Penal Code § 825 is required to be held within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays).  After one’s arraignment one will be transferred to Men’s Central Jail, Twin Towers or the Pitchess Detention Facility (also called “Wayside”) or, for female suspects, to the Lynnwood Jail (also called the Century West Regional Detention Facility) in Compton if the person is unable to post bail and if the person is not just released on one’s own recognizance.

Criminal activity in the 77th Street Division area of patrol is higher than in other areas, with a higher incidence of home invasions, illegal firearm possession, gang violence (including drive by shootings, assaults and vandalism) and drug trafficking.  Police interactions often lead to resisting or obstructing / delaying arrest charges and police pursuits are not uncommon.

It is not hyperbole to say that this is a dangerous place to be after dark, particularly is one is White.

The LAPD 77th Street District officers have identified approximately twenty gangs in the area who are mainly classified as Latino or African American, with the African American gangs being split between the infamous “Bloods” and “Crips.”  Crip gangs are, by far, the most numerous in the area.  While the alliances that exist are long-standing, they can also be fluid; violence can often flare between members of allied gangs.

Area gangs can also form alliances with gangs from outside the area; Crip gangs from Compton, for example, have strong alliances with gangs in the area, as do Blood gangs from Inglewood and Watts. 

Historically, South Central Los Angles was heavily populated by returning military veterans from World War 2 with no employment.  The government then built large single-story and two-story apartment complexes in the 1950s and these properties were then used to house a growing immigrant population and communities of nationalities were fused together in the late 1960’s and 1970’s.

High levels of unemployment led to severe socio economic problems which inevitably started a crime epidemic and gang culture that persists today.

For more information about being arrested and possibly facing a criminal case, please click on the following articles: