Testimony is presented by local and State political leaders, law enforcement officials, former gang members, judges, and a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union. Law enforcement representatives agree that street gangs in the Los Angeles area, notably the Crips and Bloods, are organized and motivated to traffic in drugs. This is accompanied by violence fueled by easy access to semiautomatic handguns and assault rifles. Gangs have brought violence and death to the communities where they live and operate. Witnesses also report that members of gangs based in Los Angeles have traveled to other cities to establish drug operations there. Former gang members view gangs as an inevitable part of the communities in which they live, given the absence of alternative lifestyles and means of survival. Some suggestions for responding to the gang problem are gun control, more effective drug law enforcement, improved education, and the use of community institutions to guide and instruct youth in values associated with a nonviolent, legitimate lifestyle of education and preparation for rewarding, legitimate employment. The representative of the American Civil Liberties Union cautions that efforts to counter youth gangs should be aggressive but within the bounds set by the U.S. Constitution.