To gain a little bit more of an insight into life in downtown LA I have researched some of the main crimes that relate to my chosen programme, I have decided that these are the crack epidemic that happened during 1984 and 1990, homicides and also prostitution.
The Crack Epedemic - 1984 - 1990
During 1984 - 1990 crack cocain was used on a massive scale in LA, cocaine abuse and related violence had exploded to unpredictable levels in the city. The beginning of this epidemic coincided with the rise of hip hop and heavily influenced the evolution of it and many notable rappers have been involved in the crack cocaine trade. Most people became addicted to crack and it lead to families being broken up, and many people grew up without one or both parents because someone in their family was addicted. Crime drastically increased and many factories closed down during this time so there was a spark in unemployment which made people turn to dealing illegal drugs for income.
Homicides
Crime in LA has varied throughout time but it reached its peak during 1970's to the 1990's, in 2012 crime had declined in the city for the 10th consecutive year. Homicides in the city in 2013 were reported at 246 which corresponds to a rate of 6.3 per 100,000 population, a significant decrease from 1980 where the homicide rate was 34.2 per 100,000 population.
Prostitution
Prostitution in LA is still prohibited by law, and the LAPD are still trying to crack down on prostitution. Prostitutes in LA can be found working on the streets, in strip clubs, through websites and also escort agencies and newspapers. The majority of prostitutes working on the streets are drug users and work to buy money for drugs.
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