Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums

The Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) was a specialized gang intelligence unit of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) tasked with combating gang-related crime between 1979 and 2000. The unit was established in the South Central district of Los Angeles, California, United States, to combat rising gang violence during the period. Each of the LAPD's 18 divisions had a CRASH unit assigned to it, whose primary goal was to suppress gang-related crimes in the city, which came about primarily from the increase in illegal drug trade.

Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums
Patch of the Los Angeles Police Department CRASH division
AbbreviationCRASH
MottoTo Protect and to Serve
We Intimidate Those Who Intimidate Others (unofficial)
Agency overview
Formed1979
DissolvedMarch 4, 2000 (2000-03-04)
Superseding agencyLAPD Gang and Narcotics Division
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Size498 sq mi (1,290 km2)
Population3.8 million
Operational structure
Officers300 (estimated)
Parent agencyLos Angeles Police Department
Areas
18
  • Central
  • Rampart
  • Southwest
  • Hollenbeck
  • Harbor
  • Hollywood
  • Wilshire
  • West Los Angeles
  • Van Nuys
  • West Valley
  • Northeast
  • 77th Street
  • Newton
  • Pacific
  • North Hollywood
  • Foothill
  • Devonshire
  • Southeast

CRASH was subject of the Rampart scandal from 1997, which exposed widespread police corruption within the unit, including involvement in murders, extortion, police brutality, evidence planting, and participating in gang activity. CRASH was disbanded in 2000 and was replaced by the LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division.

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