The Echo Park Locos were once a force to be reckoned with in the neighborhood of Echo Park within Los Angeles, California, and were known by the graffiti sign “ExP.” However, that has all changed as the gang is shrinking. Members have been killed, jailed or have moved out of the area to escape gang violence against their families. Some members have also left due to rising cost of living. Crime rates in Echo Park are falling and the recent gentrification of the area has changed the climate.
Photo Credit: Standing Together Advocating for Our Youth
As Echo Park becomes a wealthier area, many former gang members can no longer afford to live there. Police refer to these gangs as “commuter gangs” or “weekend gangs,” as many gang members will return to their old neighborhoods on the weekend. This may sound troublesome on the surface, but many of these people just enjoy returning to their old stomping grounds to visit old friends and see familiar places.
Meanwhile, the gentrification in Echo Park has brought an increase in the real estate values and new businesses to the neighborhood. Millennials like living in Echo Park and are opening eateries, shops, restaurants and more.
In February of 2014, the Los Angeles Superior Court approved a gang injunction that went into effect in Echo Park, Elysian Valley and Silver Lake. The injunction included the names of Echo Park Locos members and those of five other gangs in the Los Angeles area. The injunction forbids known gang members from being seen together in pubic, carrying guns in public or being in possession of alcohol and/or narcotics in public places; 3.8 square miles of Los Angeles are included in the injunction. The goal is to prevent gang crime from happening, since members are not supposed to associate with one another on the streets. The gang injunction will expire in the next five years.
once a force to be reckoned with in the neighborhood of Echo Park within Los Angeles, California, and were known by the graffiti sign “ExP.” However, that has all changed as the gang is shrinking. Members have been killed, jailed or have moved out of the area to escape gang violence against their families. Some members have also left due to rising cost of living. Crime rates in Echo Park are falling and the recent gentrification of the area has changed the climate.
Photo Credit: The Eastsider
Some citizens of Echo Park are still afraid of gang violence and Echo Park Locos graffiti still exists in some parts of the neighborhood. However, just because gang members are present in the area does not mean that they are perpetuating gang violence in Echo Park. Many former gang members come back to watch sports events with their friends, attend BBQs, visit with one another, etc. Echo Park is still home to many of these people who grew up there and have roots there.
If you are interested in real estate in Echo Park, where gentrification has brought businesses, nightlife and has improved the value of homes, feel free to contact our team at Los Angeles Real Estate Unlimited. We are happy to help you find a home in the city of Los Angeles.
