South Central LA nowadays?

[Eric 951]

I have been asked to look at a project in South Central--about (4) blocks from Compton Ave. Doe anyone have any current first-hand knowledge of this area? I have never worked in this region, but have worked in sketchy places before--Gary Indiana, Chicago, Sao Paulo, East St. Louis, etc.
The project isn't very large, but I don't want to put any of my crew in unnecessary peril.
Any insight?

[Joe Bob]

Don't wear any red or blue colors and pack a piece.....and don't go out after dark.

[scottmandue]

I work in South Central (Exposition Park) for 19 years and have never had a problem, when I worked construction I did jobs in Watts and East LA with no problems, of course you have to be careful, keep everything locked up.

When someone asked how to get from Pasadena to the Rams game I suggested the train... someone else suggested he pack a gun

My coworker rides the train from Long Beach to Expo park most days without a problem.

[Craig T]

Expo Park is a little different then deep residential Compton and Watts.

Is the job commercial or residential? It's the neighborhoods with Projects and slum-lord apartment complexes where most the gang activity is, and most of the trouble is after dark. Like most poor neighborhoods, the majority of people are good. If you're out before dark, you'll be OK. Petty theft is common, but most the violent crime is gang-on-gang. Look like workers. Wear a hard hat.

Outside of the projects, Compton and Watts are converting to first generation hispanic communities now anyway. Hispanic retail is popping up, big box mercado's, clinica medica's, etc. It's much safer than it was 20 years ago.

I have a friend with several residential rentals in North Long Beach and Compton. He rents to single black mothers and hispanic families with decent local jobs (often two jobs) and it's working for him. He's never had any problems, but the bangers do cruise through at night.

[craigster59]

We film there a lot. Of course we have security but I haven't seen any problems to speak of. Nickerson gardens is a bit sketchy but overall the area isn't as bad as it's sometimes portrayed.

By the way, it's not "South Central" anymore it's "South LA". I think the name change is what made it much safer.

[sammyg2]

Not much different than any other ghetto or barrio in So Cal (Wilmington, Long Beach, Santa Ana).

Don't do anything to piss off the ganstas and be in before the street lights come on

I work in a small town called Wilmington. 9 sq. miles, 53k residents.
6 people have been shot there this week.
One one of them, all the victims and all the familia refused to tell the federalies anything so they have no clues or leads.

Go figure.

http://ktla.com/2016/11/28/3-people-injured-in-wilmington-shooting-lapd/

Wilmington is not considered very diverse ethnically, with a diversity index of 0.245.[4] In 2000, Latinos made up 86.6% of the population, while whites were at 6.4%, Asians at 4.8%, blacks at 2.6% and others at 1.7%. Mexico and Guatemala were the most common places of birth for the 44.5% of the residents who were born abroad, considered a high percentage of foreign-born when compared with the city and the county as a whole.[3]

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

My coworker rides the train from Long Beach to Expo park most days without a problem.

What type of problem does he have on the remaining days?

[Dantilla]

My sister lived for a while in a notoriously bad area of town.

Before buying the house, she actually went door-to-door up and down the street asking if it was safe to live here. Pretty gutsy for a petite single gal.

Every answer was the same: "We lock our doors, and look out for each other, but if you have nothing to do with drugs, you will be fine.
If you have the slightest tie to the drug trade, trouble will follow you around".

There were frequent news stories of random shootings, but the locals insisted it is never random. The police just haven't put the pieces together.
Often because nobody will talk.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

What type of problem does he have on the remaining days?

[sammyg2]

Several years ago I was talking to a guy I knew who was a city cop in Santa Ana.
He told me that whenever he was parked doing paperwork or whatever, he always parked under a bridge or over-pass.
Less chance of getting hit by stray bullets there.

That city is one of those places I just don't belong, even if it is on the good side of the orange curtain.

[look 171]

Depending on the location. Certain part of S central is now pretty much all working class hispanics (these folks are hard working and bought home and want to live the American dream), but still, not always safe in the evening due to gangs activities. During the day, you should be OK unless you are in the projects or places where there are lots of apartments. People pretty much leave you alone. Near the edges of S Central, lots of working professionals and families are buying in those areas. The typical Americans are moving in driving housing pricing way up. Its safe and changing.

[SoCal911T]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Several years ago I was talking to a guy I knew who was a city cop in Santa Ana.

Umm, you know Santa Ana isn't even in the same county as the area being discussed, right?

[Hugh R]

Go early in the morning, the gangbangers are still hung over and sleeping.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by SoCal911T

Umm, you know Santa Ana isn't even in the same county as the area being discussed, right?

Yes, I am well aware of it. If you refer back to post #6, you'll see this as an answer to the OP' question:

Not much different than any other ghetto or barrio in So Cal (Wilmington, Long Beach, Santa Ana).

So it WAS being discussed.

But what difference does it make which county it is in?
I can also name a couple places in San Diego county I wouldn't walk around in at night.
That would not be relevant UNLESS we were comparing one ghetto/barrio to another.
As was the case here.

[SoCal911T]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Yes, I am well aware of it. If you refer back to post #6, you'll see this as an answer to the OP' question:

So it WAS being discussed.

I stand corrected.

Originally Posted by sammyg2

I can also name a couple places in San Diego county I wouldn't walk around in at night..

I can, unfortunately, name more than a couple.

[Cajundaddy]

We sometimes work in rough areas around SoCal and the standard procedure is to get in early and get your work done before noon when the bad guys wake up.

[look 171]

My plumber sometimes do some gov. funded rehab jobs down there in some really crappy part of S central, around the 105 and the 110. He tells me that they have to have one of them on their crew. So they go and pick up a temp just to have the at least one of the color combination so they wouldn't get crap from the locals. They are out by 3pm.

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Not much different than any other ghetto or barrio in So Cal (Wilmington, Long Beach, Santa Ana).

Don't do anything to piss off the ganstas and be in before the street lights come on

I work in a small town called Wilmington. 9 sq. miles, 53k residents.
6 people have been shot there this week.
One one of them, all the victims and all the familia refused to tell the federalies anything so they have no clues or leads.

Go figure.

4 People Injured in Shooting at Wilmington Party: LAPD | KTLA

First time, I've heard Long Beach referred to as a ghetto (Long Beach Ghetto Prix?). I suspect what you were trying to say is that these cities all have areas where you need to be careful. I have relatives in Wilmington and went there on a regular basis for years. It is, however, definitely not a tourist destination.

[Craig T]

This "Job in Compton" topic is appropriate...But there are areas of Chicago, Detroit, and north Philly that make South Central look like Sesame Street.

Most of South Central feels more like being in Chula Vista now.

[Jestocost]

I have worked in and around that area for 40 years. It is definitely better now but I have never had any issues.

I was there recently responding to an incident and did not have my company car with me. I pulled up at night, in the Jag with the top down while smoking a cigar.
The white guys on the crew were visibly nervous, the black guys said, "Nobody will bother you showing up like that, they will all think you are either a cop or just f**kin' crazy."

That being said, If you have business there and don't go out looking for trouble, you will be fine. But, if you are looking for trouble, you will find it.