Interrupting Gang Homicide

Interventionists are critical components of community-based gang programs. One practice they employ is diffusing or interrupting situations that lead to homicide. How they accomplish this is unclear. This paper contextualizes retaliatory gang homicide interruptions performed by one interventionist within black communities in South Los Angeles over a 24-month period between 2016-2018. Data indicates the interventionist conducted 19 interruptions involving 24 gangs utilizing nine different techniques. Gang dynamics and the triggering events that spurred retaliation shaped the techniques utilized. At least one homicide was prevented as a result of each interruption, though the likelihood is that several were given the tit-for-tat nature of gang homicide. Methodological, theoretical, and practical applications of these and other study findings are provided.

Automated summary

This paper describes the retaliatory gang homicide interruptions performed by an interventionist in black communities in South Los Angeles. Using various techniques, the interventionist successfully prevented at least one homicide.