Small farming communities of California's Central Valley face growing gang violence

"The wide, tree-lined streets of California's agricultural heartland," the Central Valley, have seen "an explosion of gang violence in recent years," and the police in these small communities are straining to keep up, reports Tim Reiterman of the Los Angeles Times. (Times map)

"Up and down the valley, task forces have been formed as evidence mounts that street hoodlums are committing homicides, robberies and car thefts and trafficking in drugs," Reiterman writes. "Some communities have taxed themselves to pay for more police. Local, state and federal sweeps have produced thousands of arrests -- but tens of thousands more gang members remain on the streets, authorities say."

Law enforcement officials tell Reiterman that families from Los Angeles and San Francisco — lured by cheaper housing and available jobs — have been moving to the Central Valley in big numbers and some brought gang ties. These small communities have some of the state's highest numbers of gang killings. In 2006, 80 gang-related homicides were reported, up from 50 in 1997. The town of Selma (pop. 24,000) had five gang killings in the last three years, and its voters recently passed a tax increase to double its police force. (Read more)