An evaluation of Operation Roundup: An experiment in the control of gangs to reduce crime, fear of crime and improve police community relations

This article presents research findings on Operation Roundup, a project initiated by the Santa Ana Police Department in Santa Ana, California. The covert police operation was designed to curtail gang activity in a specific neighborhood by securing indictments and arresting 130 violent gang members belonging to the notorious Sixth Street gang. A purposive sample of community members, selected from the neighborhood where the gang members operated, were surveyed before and after the intervention about their fear of crime and perceptions regarding the effectiveness of local law enforcement. The results revealed a decrease in perceptions related to the fear of crime but little change in attitudes toward the police. However, the covert police operation successfully eliminated the Sixth Street gang and their criminal activities from the neighborhood.