Gang War: Bangin' In Little Rock
Encyclopedia
Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock often referred to as Gang Bangin' in Little Rock is a 1994
HBO documentary about street gangs in Little Rock, Arkansas
.
and New York
, it had become a haven for drug trafficking. There were prominent gang presences of Bloods
, Crips
and Hoover's Folk Nation
.
The documentary brought much attention to the problems in the city; the Little Rock Police force was quadrupled. As a result, the street gang problem was nearly eradicated.
While gang presence did decrease in the middle 90s, there is current evidence that local youth are once again beginning to identify with street gangs and drug dealers, such as BOSS, Bogard, and Hoe Hop gangs. Hoe Hop gang have been the most dangerous and has the most members .
Steve Nawojczyk GangWar who was the county coroner during the Gang War years, and was featured in the documentary, continues to work in the intervention and prevention of youth gangs. While Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock followed Nawojczyk while he did his grim work as the county's chief coroner, it also showed his attempts at reducing the record-high homicide rate in Arkansas' capital city.
There was a follow up documentary released in 2004 called Gang War 2- Back in the Hood.
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
HBO documentary about street gangs in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
.
Synopsis
The documentary painted a hopeless and pessimistic view of the violence in the city. At the time Little Rock was one of the most dangerous cities in the country. Sitting at the intersection of two major interstates from Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, it had become a haven for drug trafficking. There were prominent gang presences of Bloods
Bloods
The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs...
, Crips
Crips
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...
and Hoover's Folk Nation
Folk Nation
The Folk Nation is an alliance of street gangs, based in the Chicago area, which has since spread throughout the United States, specifically in the Midwest and the South. They are rivals to the People Nation....
.
The documentary brought much attention to the problems in the city; the Little Rock Police force was quadrupled. As a result, the street gang problem was nearly eradicated.
While gang presence did decrease in the middle 90s, there is current evidence that local youth are once again beginning to identify with street gangs and drug dealers, such as BOSS, Bogard, and Hoe Hop gangs. Hoe Hop gang have been the most dangerous and has the most members .
Steve Nawojczyk GangWar who was the county coroner during the Gang War years, and was featured in the documentary, continues to work in the intervention and prevention of youth gangs. While Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock followed Nawojczyk while he did his grim work as the county's chief coroner, it also showed his attempts at reducing the record-high homicide rate in Arkansas' capital city.
There was a follow up documentary released in 2004 called Gang War 2- Back in the Hood.