LAPD - Southeast 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), Southeast Division, it can cause a lot of concerns.  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 Southeast Division serves the communities of Athens Park, Harbor Gateway, Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens, San Miguel and Watts.  This station has 314 sworn officers and about fifty civilian personnel.  They provide service to approximately 150,000 residents within 10.2 square miles.

This is an area of Los Angeles that is infamous for gang activity, often motivated by economic desperation, the need for protection or bonding with a group and historical trends.

Jordan Downs is a large housing project in Watts that has been around for decades.  It was originally built to house military veterans returning from World War II.

Jordan Downs has been the home of the Grape Street Crips (known by the acronyms JDC, GST, WBLC, and GSW).  It is an African-American Crips known for being the first original Crip set in Watts.  The gang's rivalry with the Bounty Hunter Bloods has been described as being "the most violent and long lasting feud between two gangs that are in the Watts area.”

Grape Street, a north-south street near 103rd Street, is one of main thoroughfares through the large housing project, which has a prison-like feeling with 103 two-story buildings identified just by large numbers on the side.  There is very little grass and large areas of dirt where children sometimes play.

The Grape Street Crips basically rule Jordan Downs.  The gang was featured in the movie, Menace II Society.

The Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods, also known as the Bounty Hunter Bloods, is a predominantly African-American street gang situated in the Nickerson Gardens public housing project, also in Watts.  Nickerson Gardens is the largest government housing complex west of the Mississippi River.

The Bounty Hunter Bloods was originally established in 1969, but became well established by 1972.  Whilst today it is a set of the Bloods, it was originally known as the Green Jackets.  Gary Barker and Bobby Jack are believed to be the gang’s founders.

The Nickerson Gardens complex forms the majority of its territory which is the largest of any African American street gang in Watts.  The gang has over 2,000 documented members and is subdivided into numerous subsets and cliques, including the Lot Boys, Block Boys, Bell Haven, Ace Line, Deuce Line, Tray Line, Four Line and Five Line.  Like all Bloods gangs, the Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods affiliate themselves with the color red.  Its members tattoo themselves with the letters "B" and "H," which refer to "Bounty Hunters" and also use the letters in hand signs.

Its members have been known to attend Centennial High School in Compton.

In 1992, the “Watts Truce” was declared which saw a rapid decline in violence between the two street gangs.  However, by 2005, the truce had imploded with the homicide rate increasing to at least seven.

In 2000, the FBI convicted 30 Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods members on federal drug violations for the distribution and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.

In addition to its feud with the Grape Street Watts Crips, the gang is also known to feud with West Side Piru, which is based in nearby Compton, and 118 East Coast Crips.