Difference Between Crips and Bloods

People who lack the power of understanding often get into something unusual or violent that they feel will protect them wherever they go. Unfortunately, the world is full of such individuals.

Los Angeles was the home to such destructive minds during the 1960s and 1970s. It goes back to when their other neighbouring LA citizens looked down upon the black youth of South Central LA.

They were tortured, harassed and even arrested without any crime as such. In simpler terms, they were dominated and were devoid of many rights. All of this filled them with rage, and this is when the words like “Crips” and “Bloods” came into existence.

Groups were divided, alliances were formed, along with illegal activities going on.

The rivalry began when the Crip members attacked two students of Centennial High School in the 1960s. Since then, there has always been some bad blood between the Crips and the Bloods.

Both gangs are responsible for a substantial portion of the criminal activities in Los Angeles.

Key Takeaways

1. Crips and Bloods are two rival street gangs that originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
2. The Crips are identified by the color blue and are known for their involvement in drug trafficking, while the Bloods are identified by the color red and are known for their involvement in violence and homicide.
3. While both gangs have a history of violence and criminal activity, there are also community-based efforts to reduce gang activity and provide alternatives to gang membership.

Crips vs Bloods

Crips were founded in 1969 by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams, who wear blue and use the letter “C” to represent them. Blood was founded in 1972 by a group of young men in the same South Los Angeles neighbourhood as the Crips, who used the letter “B” to represent their gang and wear red.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Crips	Bloods
Origin	The gang was formed in 1969 in South Los Angeles, California.	It was formed in the mid-1972 in Los Angeles, California.
Founders	Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams were the founders.	The founders were other street gangs headed by the Piru street boys.
Gang colour	They wear blue colour as their identification.	Whereas, they wear red colour.
Membership	It is estimated to be around 30,000 to 35,000.	It is around 20,000 to 25,000.
Territory	It prevails over the United States only.	Primarily in the United States but also in Canada.
Ethnicity	The members are mainly African Americans.	The members are mainly African Americans, but many Latinos, whites and Asian Americans are with them too.

Who are Crips?

The Crips gang was born in southern California in 1969. Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams founded it. It generally includes people of African American heritage with the United States as its territory. Blue is the colour of their dress code.

The Crips are considered one of the most dangerous street gangs in the US today. With a huge membership, i.e., 30,000 to 35,000 approximately, they are involved in all types of criminal activities such as robberies, murders, drug dealing, gambling and many more.

The gang created by Raymond Washington initially worked to protect its neighbourhood from external power and danger. But with time, this motto faded, and the gang began dealing with criminal activities more often.

Then came the time when Washington united his gang with that of Williams, which belonged to the eastern and western LA. They allied together for protecting their areas of control.

Initially, the fights were without guns. But as local gangs joined, making Crips bigger and more powerful, the fights shifted towards the gunshots.

Who are Bloods?

The Bloods, or the Original Blood Family (OBF), are a Los Angeles, California street gang. The Piru Street boys founded the gang in the mid-1972 after their rivalry with the Crips began.

The members of the gang wear red as their identification. They also have some hand signs as their gang symbols.

With an estimated membership of 20,000 to 25,000, they are involved vigorously in activities such as murders, robberies etc., just like the Crips. The members are mainly African Americans but also have Latinos, whites and Asian Americans with them.

The members are generally teenagers or in their early twenties. But some are also in their late twenties or even thirties.

When the Crips started to grow in size, they also started targeting other gangs. This is when some non-Crip gangs came together and established an alliance of their own to fight against the rising influence of the Crips. The gang that emerged from it got to be known as the Bloods.

The Bloods do not have a known official leader. It is therefore divided into sets with a leadership structure based on hierarchy.

Main Differences Between Crips and Bloods

1. The Crips gang was formed to rise to power, whereas the Bloods gang was formed to fight against the rising influence of the Crips.

2. The Crips gang was founded by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams in 1969. The Bloods gang was founded when small street gangs got together, headed by the Piru street boys in the mid-1972.
3. The Crips wear blue, while the Bloods wear red as their identification.
4. The membership of the Crips is about 30,000 to 35,000, while that of the Bloods is about 20,000 to 25,000.
5. The area of control of the Crips is the United States, but the area of control of the Bloods is the US and also Canada.
6. The members of the Crips are African Americans. The members of the Bloods are mainly African Americans, but there are also many Latinos, whites and Asian Americans present.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-010-0882-2_9
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047235202001344