Watts is one of the most gang infested neighborhoods in South Central. It is located within the south Los Angeles region. Watts was founded in the late nineteenth century and was consolidated into the City of Los Angeles by 1926. By the 1940s Watts became a working class Black neighborhood, and by the 1960s it became known for low income, and high crimes especially after the Watts Riots. This is when Street gangs really took a strong foot hold in the neighborhood.
History of Watts
By the early 1960s, the Watts projects were roughly 100% black, most of the whites in this area moved away to newer suburbs in the city.
With the majority of people in Watts now being of color, the people in Watts were an easy target and subject to a lot of discriminatory treatment by police.
This discrimination towards the black community would eventually lead to the Watts riots on August 11, 1965.
Gang Activity
With the growing hate for law enforcement after the Watts riots, the hate fueled more and more young black men to join gangs in watts.
More and more gang members started commiting crimes which led to increased violence in Watts. There were 500 homicides in Watts from 1989 and 2005, with the vast majority of them being gang related.
The violence became so prevalent that 4 of the most influential gangs in Watts decided to form a peace treaty, this included the Watts Crikle City Piru, Grape Street Watts Crips, Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods and the PJ Watts Crips. This peace treaty would be known as the Watts Truce which happened on April 26, 1992.
Watts Demographics
Watts has a population of around 42,000 people. From the 1940s to now watts has seen a change of demographic throughout the years. Currently the breakdown of racial diversity is as follows:
- 74% Hispanic
- 22% Black
- 1% Asian
- 1% White
List of gangs in Watts
Bloods
- Village Town Piru 126st
- Hacienda Village Boys 103st 104st 105st 106st 107st(HACIENDA VILLAGE)
- Miller Gangster Bloods 118st 119st 120st 121st
- Circle City Piru 104st 105st 106st
- Bounty Hunter Bloods 108st 109st 110st 111st 112st 113st 114st 115st(NICKERSON GARDENS) cliccs NGB,BBH,BBL,FSL,SLG,BBS,BAN,HBG,PBS,HBS,1L,2L,3L,4L,5L,,0L
- Elm Street Bishops 92st
- Family Swan Bloods 89st
- Bebop Watts Bishops 92st 93st 94st
- Neighbor Hood Family 92st
- Athens Park Bloods 124st
Crips
- Lil Town Hustle Crips 120st
- Bad Ass Gangster Crips 107st 110st
- Back Street Watts Crips 109st 110st cliccs GTC
- Front street Watts Crips 103ST 106ST original east side crips cliccs FSM
- Grape Street Watts Baby Loco Crips 95st 97st 101st 102st 103st 112st 113st(JORDAN DOWNS) cliccs WBLC,ESK,PRS,DTC,RBP,LBP,DTH,CBS,BGM,404,GMB,PLS,SSQ,FBGG,GGC,GGM,YNM,PVL,LLC,GSQ,MSQ,KBS,KBZ,RBS,WKZ,MBZ,PNS,9MC,SST,CTC,BBNS,DAC,551,OSB,KVL,,BWB,BYG,DGA,NBT,PSW,SMS,WLC,JJC,PBH,PGH,SGW,WTLC,CTM,NHW,AZW,BGW,PGW,WSH,GTM,DTH,PLS,PRS,JDMB,JDMG,DTB,HAC,TTB,LBP,YHC,WHC,SAC,POW,BSW,GVL,TTL,DCG,SSC,FOC,TCG,PBS,ABC,WNC,PBZ,AMG,,NFG,NSG,TDG,TTG,EDG,ETG,LLMB,NLMB,FMB,WBG,CBM,BGM,GMM,TTG,ESG,CTG,CBS,FBZ,JDC,WVG,HSW,GSW,GBS,
- Nut Hood Watts Crips 108st 109st 110st 111st
- Pee Jay Watts Crips 112st 113st 114st 115st(IMPERIAL COURTS) cliccs BSL,ISR,FSF,PHC
- Hat Gang Watts Crips 92st 94st 96st
- Watts Mafia Crips Gang 99st
- Holme Town Mafia Crips 97st
- Watts Franklin Crip Gang 101st 102st
- Ten Line Gangster Crips 110st cliccs DEW TSW,LDB,DLG
- Fudge Town Mafia Crips 105st 107st cliccs TFR
- Hickory Street Watts Crips (1st Watts Crip Gang in Watts 103rd,105th,107th,and santa Ana,the original street) became Grape St in late 1970s
- Blue Gate Mafia Crips 103st became Grape St 2010s
- Watts Compton Avenue Crips 95st 97st cliccs DSW
- Seven Street Watts Crips 117st
- Holmes Street Watts Crips 118st
- Kitchen Crip Gang 87st 95st 116st
- Avalon Gangster Crips 88st 116st(AVALON GARDENS)
- East Coast Crips 89st 97st original east side crips102st 118st
- Neighbor Hoods Crips 112st
- East Side Hustler Crips 91st 104st 108st 109st 115st 118st
- Main Street Mafia Crips 98st 104st
- East Side Koolidge Crips 92st
- East Side Clovis Crips 101st original east side crips
- East Side 96 Watts Crips 96st
- Dead End Kids Crips 91st
- Hard Time Hustler Crips 88st 91st 93st
- Beach Town Mafia Crips 95st
- Watts Playground Crip Gang 103st,115st became Grape St late 1970s
- Jordan Downs Crip Gang 97st,99pl,101st,102st,103st became Grape St late 1970s
- 109th Street Crip Gang 109st
Surenos
- Watts Hood Villains 13
- Mid City Stoners 13
- 106st Watts 13
- Watterios 13
- Watts Lifers 13
- Watts Boys 13
- Wild Boys 13
- 5th Hill Watts 13
- Morton Town Watts 13
- Suicidal Watts 13
- Hickory Street Watts 13
- Elm Street Watts 13
- Ivy Street Watts 13
- Watts Krooks 13
- Watts Locos 13
- Watts 13
- Krazy Mexico Town 13
- Watts Varrio Grape Street 13 cliccs TWS,GLS,TLS,LGS,TRS,TLS,BLS,TDS,TVS,TKS,HMS,LMS,QTG,SNS,TDBLS,CLS
- Watts Varrio Front Street 13
- Killer Mob 13
- Nut Hod Watts 13
- Watts Jardons 13
- Varrio Locos 13
- Village Boys 13
- Ten Line Gangster Locos 13
- Weigand Colonia Watts 13 cliccs LGS
- Big Watts 13
- Dark Avenue Criminal Watts 13
- Watts Mafiosos 13
- 109st Watts 13
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