LAPD - Rampart Station

If you, a loved one or a family member has been arrested by or is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), 

Rampart Division, it can cause a lot of worries.  Facing such a situation, it is normal to 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 needed 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 prudent 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 meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful.  This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective.

This article is presented with this goal in mind.

The LAPD Rampart Division is staffed with 330 sworn police officers and an unknown number of non-sworn staff personnel.  It is responsible for service to 164,961 residents (as of the 2020 census) in a small 5.54 square mile area.  The population density is similar to Manhattan Island in New York City making it one of the busiest stations in the nation.  The communities served are Echo Park, MacArthur Park and the Rampart Victorian Homes.

While the Rampart Division has a reputation for being deeply corrupt, as epitomized by the highly publicized “Rampart Scandal” of the late 1990’s involving disgraced officers Rafael Perez and David Mack (a world class 800 meter runner who ran for the University of Oregon), among others, involving theft of drugs from suspects and over $700,000 “lost” in a Bank of American robbery investigation, this issue is, we believe, not how the Rampart Division operates today.

Today, the Rampart Division is more accurately known by the gangs in its jurisdiction and particularly the 18th Street Gang, which originated in the Rampart Division area.  It started near 18th Street and Union Avenue, which is in the heart of the Rampart District.  There is conflicting information as to the exact area, but this is a generally accepted area by most academic sources.  They were originally part of Clanton 14 but wanted to make a separate "clique" called Clanton 18th Street and allow immigrants the opportunity to join.  This proposal was rejected by the Clanton 14, which led to the formation of the 18th Street gang.  The two gangs have been bitter rivals ever since.

The 18th Street gang was originally a Mexican gang.  However, it grew by expanding its membership to other nationalities and races, and it was among the first multiracial, multi-ethnic gangs in Los Angeles.  In the beginning, they were made up largely of second-generation Hispanics.  As the 18th Street gang began to battle with more established Hispanic gangs, they began to recruit outside the Hispanic community.  There are approximately 200 separate individual autonomous gangs operating under the same name within separate barrios in the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, South Bay, Riverside, East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, Pico Union, Inglewood, Lynwood, South Gate, Huntington Park, Maywood, Long Beach, Orange County, and Los Angeles' Westside.  In the early 2000’s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated wide-scale raids against known and suspected gang members, netting hundreds of arrests across the  country.

18th Street later became a bitter rival of MS-13 as both gangs wanted the top spot in Central America.  Members of 18th street are mainly Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Honduran, but the gang does have members from other parts of Central America.  18th Street influences have recently been spotted in Belize as well.

Los Angeles members began migrating to other areas outside America and started to establish their own cliques.  18th Street cliques have been identified in 120 cities in 37 states and the District of Columbian the United States, as well internationally in Spain, Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Lebanon, Peru, Philippines, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

18th Street gang members are required to abide by a strict set of rules.  Failure to obey the word of a gang leader, or to show proper respect to a fellow gang member, may result in an 18-second beating, or even execution for more serious offenses.

18th Street gang members often identify themselves with the number 18 on their clothing and sporting clothing from sports teams such as the Duke Blue Devils, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers and Las Vegas Raiders.  18th Street will use the symbols XV3, XVIII, X8, 99 (9+9=18), and 3-dots in their graffiti and tattoos.  18th Street colors are blue and black; blue is to represent and to pay tribute to The Mexican Mafia, and black is to represent the original color for the gang.  The 18th Street gang is occasionally referred to as the "Children's Army" because of its recruitment of elementary and middle-school aged youth.  They also allow other races to join their ranks making the gang multi-ethnic.  In El Salvador it is common for members of the gang to be tattooed on the face with a large "18."  In many cases the tattoo covers the entire face.

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