The Purple Gang

This hard-edged sociological crime thriller drives home its point with brute force. Sullivan and Blake are antagonists in Prohibitionera Detroit. Sullivan is a police officer who has had enough of juvenile delinquents; Blake is a hard-as-nails punk with no regard for the law. Their rivalry starts when a young social worker, Lawrence, advocates psychiatric treatment for delinquents. The police don't like Lawrence's suggestion because they are convinced that only a stiff prison sentence will do the trick, while the delinquents don't like the implication that they need a shrink. The upshot is that Lawrence is raped and murdered by the teens. So much for social reform....