"Los Angeles Wa Ching gang members arrested in Chinatown extortion case"

Al Williams of the Los Angeles Police Department explains how the protection racket works, and that it has been successful because the business owners are afraid of gang reprisals against their businesses or families if they contact police. He credits two Chinese officers who live in the community with gathering evidence that has led to the indictments of some gang members and he expects more to follow. Williams also touches on the assimilation problems some Chinese immigrants face that limit their opportunities and may lead them to join gangs. Includes silent footage featuring numerous shots of storefronts in Chinatown’s central plaza.

Note: The KTLA newsfilm collection at UCLA consists of cut and unedited stories, outtakes and fill footage, originally shot on 16mm reversal film stock with magnetic soundtrack. Some footage, particularly material not used for broadcast, may be without sound.

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