In Los Angeles, California,
United States
Founded by Raymond Washington and
Stanley Williams
Years active 1969–present
Territory United States[1]
Ethnicity mostly African American[1]
Membership 30,000-35,000[1]
Criminal
activities Drug trafficking, robbery,
extortion, murder, burglary
and identification theft.[1]
Allies
Folk Nation,[2] Gangster
Disciples,[3][4] La Raza,[1]
Black Guerrilla Family,[2]
Rivals
Bloods,[2] People Nation,
Ñetas, Hoover Criminals [5]
Sureños
The Crips are a primarily, but not
exclusively, African American gang.
They were founded in Los Angeles,
California in 1969 mainly by
Raymond Washington and Stanley
Williams. What was once a single
alliance between two autonomous
gangs is now a loosely connected
network of individual sets, often
engaged in open warfare with one
another.
The Crips are one of the largest and
most violent associations of street
gangs in the United States,[1] with
an estimated 30,000 to 35,000
members. The gang is known to be
involved in murders, robberies, and
drug dealing, among many other
criminal pursuits. The gang is
known for its gang members' use
of the color blue in their clothing.
However, this practice has waned
due to police crackdowns on gang
members.
Crips are publicly known to have an
intense and bitter rivalry with the
Bloods and lesser feuds with some
Chicano gangs. Crips have been
documented in the U.S. military,
found in bases in the United States
and abroad.[6]
History
Stanley Tookie Williams met
Raymond Lee Washington in 1969,
and the two decided to unite their
local gang members from the west
and east sides of South Central Los
Angeles in order to battle
neighboring street gangs. Most of
the members were 17 years old.[7]
Williams discounted the sometimes
cited founding date of 1969 in his
memoir, Blue Rage, Black
Redemption.[7] Gang activity in
South Central Los Angeles has its
roots in a variety of factors dating
back to the 1950s and '60s,
including post- World War II
economic decline leading to
joblessness and poverty, racial
segregation leading to the formation
of black "street clubs" by young
African American men who were
excluded from organizations such
as the Boy Scouts, and the waning
of black nationalist organizations
such as the Black Panther Party and
the Black Power Movement.[8][9]
[10][11]
The original name for the alliance
was "Cribs," a name narrowed
down from a list of many options,
and chosen unanimously from
three final choices, which included
the Black Overlords, and the
Assassins. Cribs was chosen to
reflect the young age of the majority
of the gang members. The name
"Cribs" generated into the name
"Crips" when gang members began
carrying around canes to display
their "pimp" status. People in the
neighborhood then began calling
them cripples, or "Crips" for short.
[12] A Los Angeles Sentinel article in
February 1972 referred to some
members as "Crips" (for cripples).[1]
The name had no political,
organizational, cryptic, or
acronymic meaning, though some
have suggested it stands for
Common Revolution In Progress.
Williams, in his memoir, further
refuted claims that the group was a
spin-off of the Black Panther Party
or formped for a community agenda,
the name "depicted a fighting
alliance against street gangs —
nothing more, nothing less."[7]
Washington, who attended Fremont
High School, was the leader of the
East Side Crips, and Williams, who
attended Washington High School,
led the West Side Crips.
Crip showing a gang signal.
Williams recalled that a blue
bandanna was first worn by Crips
founding member Buddha, as a part
of his color-coordinated clothing of
blue Levi's, a blue shirt, and dark
blue suspenders. A blue bandanna
was worn in tribute to Buddha after
he was shot and killed on February
23, 1973, which eventually became
the color of blue associated with
Crips.[7]
The Crips became popular
throughout southern Los Angeles as
more youth gangs joined; at one
point they outnumbered non-Crip
gangs by 3 to 1, sparking disputes
with non-Crip gangs, including the
L.A. Brims, Athens Park Boys, the
Bishops, The Drill Company, and the
Denver Lanes. By 1971 the gang's
notoriety had spread across Los
Angeles.
Initially Crips leaders did not occupy
leadership positions, but were
recognized as leaders because of
their personal charisma and
influence. These leaders gave
priority to expanding the gang's
membership to increase its power.
By 1978, there were 45 Crips gangs,
called sets, operating in Los Angeles.
The gang became increasingly
violent as they attempted to expand
their turf.
By the early 1980s the gang was
heavily involved with drug trade.[13]
Some of these Crips sets began to
produce and distribute PCP
(phencyclidine) within the city. They
also began to distribute marijuana
and amphetamine in Los Angeles. In
the early 1980s Crips sets began
distributing crack cocaine in Los
Angeles. The huge profits resulting
from crack cocaine distribution
induced many Crips members to
establish new markets in other cities
and states. In addition, many young
men in other states adopted the
Crips name and lifestyle. As a result
of these two factors, Crips
membership increased throughout
the 1980s, making it one of the
largest street gang associations in
the country.[1] In 1999, there were
at least 600 Crips sets with more
than 30,000 members transporting
drugs in the United States.
United States
Founded by Raymond Washington and
Stanley Williams
Years active 1969–present
Territory United States[1]
Ethnicity mostly African American[1]
Membership 30,000-35,000[1]
Criminal
activities Drug trafficking, robbery,
extortion, murder, burglary
and identification theft.[1]
Allies
Folk Nation,[2] Gangster
Disciples,[3][4] La Raza,[1]
Black Guerrilla Family,[2]
Rivals
Bloods,[2] People Nation,
Ñetas, Hoover Criminals [5]
Sureños
The Crips are a primarily, but not
exclusively, African American gang.
They were founded in Los Angeles,
California in 1969 mainly by
Raymond Washington and Stanley
Williams. What was once a single
alliance between two autonomous
gangs is now a loosely connected
network of individual sets, often
engaged in open warfare with one
another.
The Crips are one of the largest and
most violent associations of street
gangs in the United States,[1] with
an estimated 30,000 to 35,000
members. The gang is known to be
involved in murders, robberies, and
drug dealing, among many other
criminal pursuits. The gang is
known for its gang members' use
of the color blue in their clothing.
However, this practice has waned
due to police crackdowns on gang
members.
Crips are publicly known to have an
intense and bitter rivalry with the
Bloods and lesser feuds with some
Chicano gangs. Crips have been
documented in the U.S. military,
found in bases in the United States
and abroad.[6]
History
Stanley Tookie Williams met
Raymond Lee Washington in 1969,
and the two decided to unite their
local gang members from the west
and east sides of South Central Los
Angeles in order to battle
neighboring street gangs. Most of
the members were 17 years old.[7]
Williams discounted the sometimes
cited founding date of 1969 in his
memoir, Blue Rage, Black
Redemption.[7] Gang activity in
South Central Los Angeles has its
roots in a variety of factors dating
back to the 1950s and '60s,
including post- World War II
economic decline leading to
joblessness and poverty, racial
segregation leading to the formation
of black "street clubs" by young
African American men who were
excluded from organizations such
as the Boy Scouts, and the waning
of black nationalist organizations
such as the Black Panther Party and
the Black Power Movement.[8][9]
[10][11]
The original name for the alliance
was "Cribs," a name narrowed
down from a list of many options,
and chosen unanimously from
three final choices, which included
the Black Overlords, and the
Assassins. Cribs was chosen to
reflect the young age of the majority
of the gang members. The name
"Cribs" generated into the name
"Crips" when gang members began
carrying around canes to display
their "pimp" status. People in the
neighborhood then began calling
them cripples, or "Crips" for short.
[12] A Los Angeles Sentinel article in
February 1972 referred to some
members as "Crips" (for cripples).[1]
The name had no political,
organizational, cryptic, or
acronymic meaning, though some
have suggested it stands for
Common Revolution In Progress.
Williams, in his memoir, further
refuted claims that the group was a
spin-off of the Black Panther Party
or formped for a community agenda,
the name "depicted a fighting
alliance against street gangs —
nothing more, nothing less."[7]
Washington, who attended Fremont
High School, was the leader of the
East Side Crips, and Williams, who
attended Washington High School,
led the West Side Crips.
Crip showing a gang signal.
Williams recalled that a blue
bandanna was first worn by Crips
founding member Buddha, as a part
of his color-coordinated clothing of
blue Levi's, a blue shirt, and dark
blue suspenders. A blue bandanna
was worn in tribute to Buddha after
he was shot and killed on February
23, 1973, which eventually became
the color of blue associated with
Crips.[7]
The Crips became popular
throughout southern Los Angeles as
more youth gangs joined; at one
point they outnumbered non-Crip
gangs by 3 to 1, sparking disputes
with non-Crip gangs, including the
L.A. Brims, Athens Park Boys, the
Bishops, The Drill Company, and the
Denver Lanes. By 1971 the gang's
notoriety had spread across Los
Angeles.
Initially Crips leaders did not occupy
leadership positions, but were
recognized as leaders because of
their personal charisma and
influence. These leaders gave
priority to expanding the gang's
membership to increase its power.
By 1978, there were 45 Crips gangs,
called sets, operating in Los Angeles.
The gang became increasingly
violent as they attempted to expand
their turf.
By the early 1980s the gang was
heavily involved with drug trade.[13]
Some of these Crips sets began to
produce and distribute PCP
(phencyclidine) within the city. They
also began to distribute marijuana
and amphetamine in Los Angeles. In
the early 1980s Crips sets began
distributing crack cocaine in Los
Angeles. The huge profits resulting
from crack cocaine distribution
induced many Crips members to
establish new markets in other cities
and states. In addition, many young
men in other states adopted the
Crips name and lifestyle. As a result
of these two factors, Crips
membership increased throughout
the 1980s, making it one of the
largest street gang associations in
the country.[1] In 1999, there were
at least 600 Crips sets with more
than 30,000 members transporting
drugs in the United States.
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