LAPD Gang Units

LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 5: Los Angeles Police Department gang unit officers stop and question a known Crazy Riders gang member on August 5, 2006 in the Rampart district of Los Angeles, California. Tattoos are a an integral part of an LA gang's identity. The gang member, nicknamed "Chrome," was shot and killed later that night by a rival gang in Macarthur Park. Police normally check gang member's tattoos for any new designs. Over 25 hispanic street gangs compete in the Rampart neighborhood for the drug trade with the majority controlled by the Mexican mafia. Los Angeles violent crime rates, traditionally one of the highest in California, have recently fallen as figures show a crime shift to outlying counties where real estate prices are more affordable. (Photo by Robert Nickelserg/Getty Images)