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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Abandoning the long-held belief that naming the worst gangs boosts their street image, the mayor and police chief identified 11 of the most violent groups Thursday and promised to confront them with more law enforcement.
Authorities are reversing strategy in response to a surge in gang bloodshed that has defied the city's continuing drop in overall crime. The Police Department says the city has 400 gangs with about 39,000 members, though other agencies estimate there are more than 700 groups.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and police Chief William Bratton announced the plans Thursday at a police station in a San Fernando Valley neighborhood where gang crime more than doubled last year.
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