Like most cities in California gang crimes and violence, continues to be a problem. Sacramento gangs have become more ruthless and brash when it comes to the public eye. Like Fresno and Stockton, Sacramento too is seeing a rise in crimes.

Sacramento residents are really starting to notice to rise of crime rates, it is destroying neighbourhoods and making it unsafe for people, kids and families.

According to the Sacramento Police department, narcotics, burglary, assault, battery, vandalism and weapon related crimes are all on the rise.

There are people dealing drugs, shooting up in front of children on the streets.

Residents are starting to point fingers at the Police saying there is a lack of accountability which is leading to more drugs, assaults and other crimes in a lot of areas of the city.

With the growing rates of crime, there is also a growing rate of homeless. With growing homeless there is always a positive correlation to growing crimes.

In 2022 there was an office count in February, which counted 9,278 homeless people, which is a 67% increase over the 5,570 during the last count, which was in 2019.

Drugs and the Homeless

Homelessness goes hand in hand with drug addiction. Along with the housing prices, this leaves people out of a home looking for a way to pass their time.

A quarter of the homeless population, lives in California.

With this many homeless, that means a lot of customers for drug dealers, who do not care who they sell to, as long as they are making money.

In 2021, the California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the results of a multiagency operation in the Sacramento based street gang, the Oak Park Bloods.

Members of the gang are tied to violent crimes, and were identified by the Sacramento PD to be a huge threat to the publics safety.

The Sacramento PD is saying gangs and other criminal organizations are the key driver in the rise of violent crime in their communities.

Over the course of the operation, 26 gang members or affiliates were arrested, and more than 125 fire arms were seized.

Gang Violence in the News

A shooting that resulted with 3 deaths and 2 others wounded happened in the summer of 2005. The police blamed it on a targeted gang attack.

The same day a shoot out left another man dead, in the same area a week later a man was shot in the head in his car.

That summer was a violent year in Sacramento.

Almost a decade and a half later, a gang shoot out on K Street, left 6 dead and 12 wounded and injured.

The difference now, is that these battles aren’t based off of turf, it is based off of what is happening on social media.

Police are saying though as of late, there are less gang members than there was in 2005. They are saying that there is around 3000 active gang members in 2020. In 2005 there was 4000.

List of Gangs in Sacramento, California

North Sacramento:

Bloods:

• Strawberry Mannors
• Elm Street
• Beldon Street
• True Heights Villans
• Flats
• Beast Mobb
• Del Paso Heights

Crips:

• Nogales (Street) Gangster Crips
• West Gate Crips
• Sons Of Samoa Crips aka “Plaza Gang” (Norwood Avenue)
• A Street North Highlands
• El Camino Crips (Laotian)
• Pope Street Crips
• South Sac Locsta’s
• Blocc Boy Crip

Nortenos:

• Hillsdale North Highlands XIV
• Varrio North Sacra XIV
• Varrio Gardenland XIV
• Del Paso Heights XIV

South Sacramento:

Bloods:

• Valley High Pirus
• MeadowView
• Detroit Blvd
• Oak Park Bloods 33st
  • Ridezilla (a neighborhood-based gang that is made up primarily of members of the Oak Park Bloods, along with members recruited from other neighboring gangs, including the Meadowview Bloods and Valley Hi Piru’s).
    According to SPD, Ridezilla is a “very, very, violent gang” and its primary activities are “homicides, attempted homicides, narcotics dealings, and assaults with deadly weapons.” Furthermore, the “rivals of Ridezilla are anyone who challenges Ridezilla,” and Ridezilla members “are very, very, often armed, and they are not afraid to use them.”

Crips:

• Garden Blocc Crips 21st, 24st, 29st
• Valley High Crips
• Power Inn Crips
• Tongan Crip Gang 29st

Nortenos:

• Garden Block Nortenos XIV 29st / Varrio Gardens XIV
• Barrio Franklin Boys XIV
• Diamonds XIV

(There’s a mixed gang of bloods and crips called “G-MOBB” on the southside of sacramento and there’s also a gang called “Creek Mob (Elder Creek)”, also on the southside, but it is not known to what affiliation/color they claim, if any.)

East Sacramento:

Bloods:

• Lincoln Village /East Side Piru

Crips:

Nortenos:

West Sacramento:

Bloods:

Crips:

Nortenos:

• Broderick Boys XIV

Asian & Other Gangs in Sacramento:

(Not sure what side of town they claim)

• Lemon Hill Posse
• Asian Boyz
• Viet Pride Gangsters
• Insane Viet Boys
• Oriental Boys
• Bahalana Gang
• Sac Town Bad Boys
• Tiny Rascals Gang
• TLR
• MOD Gang – Menace of Destruction 

Hoods Occupied by gangs in Sacramento

Oak Park

Oak park is the most notorious area in Sac known for their gangs. It is synonymous for being territory for The Bloods, as they have been established in this area since the 1980s.

Located in Midtown, Oak Park is one of the oldest mainly black communities in the city. Police are always patrolling and are always making arrests.

Valley Hi

Another area home to multiple gangs, there you can asian gangs, mexican gangs, and black gangs.

Del Paso Heights

One of the largest ghettos in Sacramento, originally a white community has now turned to low income black, hispanic and asian homes.

Since the 80s the Del Paso Heights Bloods have grown in numbers in this area, but this hood has a lot of different sets.

G Parkway

G Parkway also known as G Mobb has a history of gang activity. The Garden Blocc gang would be a staple in this area.

Northgate

A mainly hispanic hood that displays a lot of mexican culture. This area has been around since the 1900s and was officially inducted into the city by the 1960s. Northgate is home to a bunch of Norteno crews like Varrio Northgate and Varrio Gardenland.

Garden Blocc

Located around 29th street, Garden Blocc is one of the areas you dont want to be caught if you are a blood. Garden Blocc is Crip territory.

Lincoln Village

Lincoln village is home to the East Side Pirus which started in the 80s, Lincoln VIllage is considered to be one of the oldest black communities in the city.

Strawberry Manor