Gang and Operations Support Division

Gang and Operations Support Division
Plain black patch of the LAPD, usually used by Gang Units
Abbreviation	GOSD
Organizational structure
Part of	Los Angeles Police Department Office of Operations Special Operations Bureau
Command staff
Commanding Officer	Captain II

The Gang and Operations Support Division (GOSD) of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is responsible for providing administrative and investigative support, expertise, and training on matters relating to gang issues. The Division also provides administrative support to the Department Gang Coordinator in exercising functional supervision over geographical Gang Impact Teams.

Gang Support Section

Asian Crime Unit

The Asian Crime Unit is responsible for:

• assisting other units in assessing and developing information pertaining to Asian criminals and criminal organizations
• investigating Asian gang-related crimes
• investigating crimes involving Asian suspects and/or victims, where Asian language and/or cultural expertise is required
• providing investigating officers to assist in vice, narcotics and other specialized investigations where Asian language and/or cultural expertise may significantly benefit the investigations
• upon request, assisting other units with language expertise when Asian dignitaries are visiting the department

Gang Intelligence Unit

The Gang Intelligence Unit, often also called just "Gang Intel", is responsible for:

• assisting Area detectives in conducting follow-up investigations involving violent gangs
• investigating, locating, and apprehending wanted gang members and associates who have taken extreme measures to avoid apprehension
• monitoring outlaw motorcycle gangs and attending various outlaw motorcycle and gang funerals and gatherings
• providing expert gang knowledge
• providing expertise on street gangs, prison gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs and officer safety issues when dealing with gangs
• providing investigative assistance involving modus operandi (MO), graffiti, tattoos, etc. associated with gangs and gang activity
• providing recognized gang intelligence experts to the department through experience, and gang and community contacts
• providing training to the department, outside agencies and the community on gang issues
• receiving, developing, processing, and assessing gang intelligence

In “Snitch”, Gang Intelligence detectives could be seen wearing unit-specific windbreakers reading "Gang Intelligence Team" in lieu of "Los Angeles Police". This terminology seems so conflate the Gang Intelligence Unit and the geographical Gang Impact Teams (GIT).

"Gang Intelligence Team" windbreaker

Note: In the real LAPD, this unit is know as the Gang Field Unit. Based on episode dialogue, the Gang Intelligence Unit is the go-to unit regarding gang issues, rather than being separate entity of the Gang Field Unit handling only gang intelligence functions.

Administrative and CLEAR Liaison Unit

The Administrative and CLEAR Liaison Unit is responsible for providing the following:

• monitoring and coordinating gang injunctions
• monitoring the deployment and operations of Gang Impact Teams
• monitoring the operations of, and providing liaison to, the CLEAR sites throughout the City
• providing administrative support to the Department Gang Coordinator in the functional supervision of Gang Impact Teams (GIT)
• providing assistance to Geographical Bureau Gang Coordinators in oversight responsibilities and interpretations of LAPD directives pertaining to gang units
• providing training in gang crime identification and classification to Crime Analysis Details and Units
• providing training in the use of the CalGang database and case management system
• reviewing audits and inspections conducted by the Audit Division and Bureau Gang Coordinators

CLEAR

The goal of the Community Law Enforcement and Recovery (CLEAR) Program is to reduce the propagation of gangs, gang membership, and gang-related criminal activity in Los Angeles. Target areas are selected based upon the severity of gang crime in the area. CLEAR utilizes an operations team consisting of representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Probation Department, Los Angeles City Attorney, Los Angeles County District Attorney, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

• The Los Angeles Police Department deploys officers who are designated to respond to gang-related criminal activity within their respective CLEAR target area, and coordinates law enforcement efforts to suppress gang crime.

• The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation monitors and closely supervises all parolees during their re-entry into society to avert them from engaging in criminal activity upon their release.

• The Los Angeles County Probation Department works with the City Attorney to ensure that gang members receive appropriate conditions of probation that prohibit association with other gang members, through curfews and restrictions on returning to designated areas.

• The District Attorney’s Office and City Attorney’s Office prosecute the cases generated by CLEAR unit arrests. They also track all arrests made by the CLEAR unit and prepare reports on the progress of the prosecution efforts, and prepare and prosecute civil injunctions against gang member activities within the CLEAR sites.

Known personnel

	Detective Julio Sanchez was assigned to the Gang Intelligence Unit before his transfer to the Priority Murder Squad (later known as the Major Crimes Division).
	Police Officer Kate Sherman is assigned to the Gang Intelligence Unit on Major Crimes, Season 3.(“Zoo Story”)

Interacting with Major Crimes

Note: List may be incomplete.

• “Slippin'”: Gang Intelligence was asked to arrest the most active members of a gang suspected of a drive-by shooting which left three victims dead.
• “Four to Eight”: Gang Intelligence was stated to have installed surveillance cameras in multiple gang territories.
• “Rules of Engagement”: Gang Intelligence detectives located a vehicle which Major Crimes was looking for in relation to a gang-related shooting. They also supported Major Crimes and SIS during a gang-related surveillance detail.
• “Trial by Fire”: Gang Intelligence was contacted to find known gang members who liked to use fire as a weapon based on a red lighter found on the scene. Gang Intel came up with a good match, a gang member going by the name "Zippo" who's MO included a red lighter, though he was later revealed to not be involved.
• “Snitch”: Gang Intelligence was contacted to find rival gangs who might have wanted to kill the victims. Gang Intelligence detectives were also later present assisting Major Crimes during the arrest of "Big Hazard".

  

  Gang Intelligence detectives arresting "Big Hazard".

• “Hindsight, Part 3”: Gang Intelligence was contacted to find connections between John Barnes and his presumed victims.
• “Shockwave, Part 1”: Gang Intelligence was contacted to find recent connections between MS-13 and Major Crimes' victim (a former member).

Notes

Originally known as the Special Operations Support Division (SOSD), the name was changed to Gang and Operations Support Division in 2007 after the Traffic Coordination Section was transferred to the newly created Emergency Operations Division (EOD), leaving the GOSD to only supervise one subordinate section. At the same time, the new GOSD was transferred to the Detective Bureau, even though the original Special Operations Support Division was a part of the Special Operations Bureau (as is the new EOD). Furthermore (in real life), the short-lived GOSD was merged with the Narcotics Division in 2008 to create the new Gang and Narcotics Division.

That said, as the Major Crimes Universe considers gang operations to be under the purview of the Special Operations Bureau, and the Narcotics Division is known to exist with its original name, it's presumed that GOSD remains under the command of SOB as its own division.

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