Emergency Management LA Riots

Table of Contents

Page 3- Introduction

Page 3 - Los Angeles Erupts

Page 5- Figure #1- City of Los Angeles- Extent of damage

Page 6- The Powder Keg and the Spark

Page 7- LA- Rich vs. Poor, Black vs. White

Page 7- Crack Cocaine and Gangs

Page 8- Figure #2- Gang Territories 1996

Page 9- The LAPD- Protectors of Occupying Force?

Page 10- Rodney King and Latasha Harlins

Page 11- Long Term Planning

Page 11- Prevention/Mitigation

Page 11- Preparedness

Page 12- Response

Page 12- Recovery

Page 14- Bibliography

Introduction

The aim of this assignment will be to provide an overview of the civil unrest which took place in the city of Los Angeles, California, USA from April 29 to May 2, 1992. In examining this incident I will endeavor to explain how and why it happened, who and what was affected and what the long term planning implications are for an event such as this. In order to do this I will present an overview of the four days of violence that gripped Los Angeles and investigate some of the root causes of the uprising. Finally, I will present my theories of how better or different prevention, preparedness, response and recovery could have minimized the effects of the incident.

Los Angeles Erupts

In the late afternoon of April 29, 1992 sparks of anger and alienation erupted in Los Angeles, California, USA. For 4 days violent civil unrest raged in this Metropolis of 9,000,000 (U.S. census population estimate for Los Angeles County, California State demographic Research Unit, California Department of Finance), causing the deaths of 54 people, injuring over 2,400 (University of Southern California, “The Los Angeles Riots 1992”, http://www.usc.edu/ isd/archives/ la/la_riot.html) and causing property damage of approximately $1,000,000,000 USD (Falkenrath & Rosegrant, 2000). Over these four days, more than 7,000 people were arrested on looting, assault, arson and weapons related charges (Salak, 1993, pg. 33).

Starting at the intersection of Florence and Nomandie, in the predominantly black and hispanic inhabited area of LA known as South Central, a small group of 25-40 teens took to the streets and began a rowdy protest, striking cars with baseball bats and shouting anti police slogans. The Los Angeles Police Department responded with 6 officers and during the course of attempting to arrest 2 gang members,...

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...nedy School of Government, Harvard University.

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McMahon, R., 2001, Civil Disorder Resolution, Command Strategies and Tactical Responses, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN.

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Salak, J., 1993, The Los Angeles Riots, America’s Cities in Crisis, The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, CT.

Staff writer, 1992, The Toll, Los Angeles Times Newspaper

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