Ghettoside: A True Story Of Murder In America, Leovvy - B -

                                               This book is about black-on-black homicide and features a 2007 murder in South Central LA, its investigation and its prosecution.  The thesis of the book is that black-on-black violence is of minimal  consequence to our society, and that that indifference leads to lawless ghettos filled with  endless violence. In essence, "gangs are a consequence of lawlessness, not a cause." The story is told through the eyes of two LA detectives, one black and one white. The white detective is John Skaggs, a sincere man who abhorred the concept of 'another black death that no one cared about' and who achieved the highest clearance rate in the 77th district.  Wally Tennelle, the black man, was a very successful detective and father who chose to stay in the neighborhood he grew up  - the 77th Police district, south of the Ten.  In the 77th, the murder rate was six times higher than the rest of the city.  Black gang members died almost every day. Tennelle's son, Bryant, was gunned down for no reason other than he was in the proverbial wrong place at the wrong time - maybe it was the Astros hat he was wearing. After a few months of no results,  the case was assigned to Skaggs.  Skaggs found the shooter and a 22 year-old prostitute who turned into the perfect witness.  Generally, 40% of cases failed because of the lack of a willing witness.  He soon had the 17-year-old killer in the interview room, and at the end of the day, called Wally Tennelle to tell him that arrests would be forthcoming. Additionally, a slightly older gang-banger who provided the gun and instructions to the 17-year-old was also indicted. Two years later, both defendants were convicted and sentenced to life without parole.  Wally Tennelle watched the entire trial, most days in tears.
                                                The author makes her point about lawlessness and society's apparent indifference to black death in the ghetto. She makes it by pouring out detailed information about innumerable murders. This leads to a  problem with  the coherence of the story. Those other murders do not relate directly to the Bryant Tennelle case. A chapter about the case is followed by one completely unrelated.  Leovvy does end with some positive information. In California, over a third of the black men released from prison collect social security disability payments. "Money translates to autonomy. It helps break apart homicidal enclaves by reducing interdependence and lowering the stakes of conflicts." One would hope there is some way to end the urban nightmare told here.