CRASH: A Look at the Controversial LAPD Gang Unit That Inspired the Film "Training Day"
As a response to rising gang violence in Los Angeles, In the late 90s, the LAPD formed the elite CRASH Unit to combat the gangs. Unfortunately, in many ways, CRASH became the biggest gang in the city
Background
In the aftermath of Frank Serpico’s valiant struggle to expose police corruption in the 1970s, more than ever, the public’s eyes were opened to the corruption and amorality so often demonstrated by the very people who were supposed to uphold the law.
Police corruption is a problem around the world, not just in US major metropolitan areas like New York City and Chicago. From drug profiteering to collaboration with organized crime, and racial profiling to the use of excessive force, most police agencies have been involved in some controversy or another.
But by the turn of the 21st century, the Los Angeles Police Division (LAPD) made history–by creating one of the largest police misconduct scandals of the century.