Robert Ladd on Joining Compton PD Gang Unit, 55 Gangs in 10 Square Mile Compton (Part 1)

Watch Full Interview:    • Compton Gang Unit's Robert Ladd on Ke...  

Part 2:    • Compton Gang Unit's Robert Ladd on DJ...  
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Former Compton PD Gang Unit officer Robert Ladd shared his experiences in law enforcement. Ladd, whose partner Blondie passed away in 2021, came from a construction background before deciding to go into policing. Becoming an officer provided a better income, and, wanting to help people, Ladd joined the force, eventually moving from a reserve role in Garden Grove P.D. to Compton PD in 1983. Over the course of his tenure, Ladd witnessed the crack cocaine epidemic that began in the early 1980s and drastically changed the landscape of Compton; drugs, weapons, and gang violence became omnipresent. By 1988 the crime rates led to the establishment of a three-man gang unit, composed of Ladd, Blondie, and Reggie Wright Sr. They faced a challenging task trying to curb the activities of the 55 gangs operating throughout Compton.