Gang Troubles

Street gangs have been around in the US in one form or another since the early 1800s. Today, street gangs represent a major threat to personal safety and national security. In some communities they account for 80 percent of all the crime (National Gang Threat Assessment Issued 2, February, 2009 from http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/ngta020209.htm ). This FBI report also indicated that:

"Gang members are migrating from urban to suburban and rural areas, expanding the gangs' influence in most regions. They are doing so for a variety of reasons, including expanding drug distribution territories, increasing illicit revenue, recruiting new members, hiding from law enforcement, and escaping from other gangs. Many suburban and rural communities are experiencing increasing gang-related crime and violence because of expanding gang influence. Typical gang-related crimes include alien smuggling, armed robbery, assault, auto theft, drug trafficking, extortion, fraud, home invasions, identity theft, murder, and weapons trafficking. Gang members are the primary retail-level distributors of most illicit drugs. They also are increasingly distributing wholesale-level quantities of marijuana and cocaine in most urban and suburban communities. ..Many gangs actively use the Internet to recruit new members and to communicate with members in other areas of the U.S. and in foreign countries (Retrieved on 15 April, 2009 from http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/ngta020209.htm )."

In another recent FBI report, the FBI also reported that modern gangs tend to be local and community-based. There are approximately 20-30,000 gangs today with about 800,000- 1 million members which negatively impact 2,500 local communities. And approximately 58 percent of all US law enforcement officers report active gangs in their jurisdiction. It is estimated that there are 11 national-level street gangs; 5 regional gangs, and most of the 20-30,000 US gangs are local (Retrieved 15 April 2009 from http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1593

National Youth Gang Survey Analysis and www.FBI.gov at http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/index.htm

See also National Gang Intelligence Center online at http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ngic/ ).

Use caution in drawing too hasty of conclusions about cities causing gangs. Cities don't cause or breed gangs. They just facilitate a high concentration of people so that gangs can easily do the crimes they want to do. Besides, many of today's worst gangs originated in prisons, not the city streets. Other gangs came in with migrants. Still, some have been around long enough to move from the urban to rural areas.

For the most part, gang membership is an urban lifestyle of young men, although female gang membership at a lower level of participation is common. Although White gangs exist, gang membership is predominantly African American, Hispanic, and other race related.

The burden of managing gangs falls mainly on law enforcement officials who curb or eliminate gang problems in the community. These curbing efforts become more complicated when local elected officials deem it unprofitable to acknowledge a gang presence in their community (this in spite of gang tagging which is apparent to all in the community). Gang members recruit and migrate to other communities. Fundamentally, gang activities are related to illegal money-making activities-the same is true for organized and white-collar crime, but varies in sophistication of methods and violence used. Most gangs, organized criminals, and white-collar criminals follow this principle, "murder for profit." Any degree of violent means is justified that leads toward the illegal profit-making ends.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 956