South Los Angeles has historically been overlooked for opportunities to promote community and economic development, leading to decades of public disinvestment and structural racism. Today, the Watts community still struggles with high levels of violence, multigenerational gangs, low educational achievement, and high levels of drug use and homelessness.  

In 2011, Urban Peace Institute (UPI) produced a research report, the Community Safety Scorecard. Watts’ ZIP codes were assessed as among the least safe in Los Angeles, ranking 97 out of 104 zip codes analyzed, with an “F” grade for gang-related crime, violent crime, and child abuse. A decade later, 39% of Watts families live in poverty, the unemployment rate is 13%, and only 5% of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.  

In 2012, UPI’s assessment found that Watts housing development residents experience disproportionate gang activity because of the three multigenerational gangs in the area. Residents experience a pervasive lack of security and widespread fear of crime. Half of Watts survey respondents reported that gang activity or the fear of gang activity “always or often” prevents them from spending time outside their homes. Gun violence was reported as a problem in their neighborhood by 31% of all residents surveyed. Furthermore, 67% of respondents cited the high level of drug use among youth and adults as an issue that must be addressed to create a safer environment for all families.  

Over the last four years, violent crime rates in Watts compared to Los Angeles as a whole indicate a persistent and severe violent crime issue. Violent crime statistics from 2017 to 2020 demonstrate concentrated focus areas of persistent violent crime in Watts. During this time, violent crime per 1,000 residents in Watts was more than double the rate of Los Angeles as a whole. 

The South Los Angeles Peacemakers initiative will reduce violent crime and save the lives of Watts residents and surrounding communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence. Through BCJI funding, UPI will train and support six new community-based and hospital-based violence intervention workers working on the ground to reduce violent crime in Watts and surrounding communities. UPI will also convene a Rapid Response Team to identify and deploy violence intervention workers to crime focus areas in South Los Angeles based on timely violent crime data analysis. UPI will also strengthen cross-sector partnerships and promote trust between residents, violence intervention workers, and law enforcement officers by leveraging the organization’s ongoing Leadership Institute and Regional School Safety Collaboratives. As a result of these strategies, UPI expects to achieve the following objectives: 

• The reduction of crime by at least 10% over the three-year grant period.  

• Increasing residents’ capacity, engagement, and collaboration with law enforcement and comprehensive community safety strategies by 20% over the three-year grant period.  

• Increasing trust between community members and the LAPD Community Safety Partnership Bureau by 15% over the three-year grant period. 

Urban Peace Institute (UPI) and its project partners will implement the following strategies: 

• Launching a Rapid Response Team: The Rapid Response Team, which includes UPI and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), meets weekly to review Real-Time Analysis and Critical Response reports from the LAPD Community Safety Partnership Bureau to help direct community violence intervention (CVI) services in crime focus areas. 
• Bolstering Community-Based Violence Intervention Services: UPI works with a project partner, Chapter T.W.O., to train and support violence interrupters. The new violence interrupters focus their efforts on interrupting cycles of violence in the Watts neighborhood by conducting rumor control and implementing proactive peacekeeping strategies. 
• Bolstering Hospital-Based Violence intervention (HBVI) Services: UPI works with a project partner, Southern California Crossroads, to train and support violence interrupters who staff the Southern California Crossroads Hospital-Based Violence Intervention (HBVI) program. The violence interrupters are embedded in St. Francis Hospital and Harbor UCLA Medical Center and provide intervention services to violent crime victims to deter cycles of retaliation. 
• Expanding the Leadership Institute and the Watts Regional School Safety Collaborative: To increase community capacity, engagement, and cross-sector partnerships to lead safety strategies, UPI is expanding its Leadership Institute and Watts Regional School Safety Collaborative program. UPI is leveraging its direct relationships with residents, as well as law enforcement, to improve community engagement in both these groups. 
• Supporting the LAPD Community Safety Partnership Bureau: UPI continues to support the LAPD Community Safety Partnership Bureau. Through BCJI funds, UPI is establishing both formal and informal opportunities for residents to directly interact with Community Safety Partnership officers through sessions and meetings of both the Leadership Institute and Watts Regional School Safety Collaborative on at least a monthly basis. 

Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction, Los Angeles Police Department, Chapter T.W.O., Southern California Crossroads, Watts Regional School Safety Collaborative, LAPD Community Safety Partnership Bureau