Gangs

The danger of modern gangs is rooted in local, community-level activity. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimates that at least 30,000 gangs, with 800,000 members, are having an impact on 2,500 communities across the United States. Increasing law enforcement pressure and the desire to expand their lucrative illegal activities are leading gangs to spread from urban areas into suburban and rural areas. Partnerships with law enforcement, schools, parents, community and faith-based groups, and youth are an important element in addressing and reducing gang crime in the United States.

The National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association (NAGIA) conducted the 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), this report is the result of a collaborative effort among the members of NAGIA. NAGIA is composed of the leadership of 15 state and regional gang investigators associations, representing over 10,000 gang investigators across the country, and representatives of federal agencies and other organizations involved in gang-related matters. This assessment identified several important trends in gang activity:

• Approximately 45 percent of respondents said that gangs use technology, such as cell phones, computers, and the Internet in their criminal activities. Low-cost and accessible items, coupled with ease of use and increased technological savvy, have made it difficult for law enforcement to track and combat the illegal activity of gangs consistently. 
• Gangs are migrating nationwide and as they migrate they bring their culture of violence and fear to each new community. Many reasons could explain the modern migration factor such as expansion of gang territories and families moving because of jobs or incarceration.
• New immigrants are susceptible to gang influences and activities because of language barriers, employment difficulties, support, protection, and fear. In Hispanic communities, membership in a gang means support and protection. In Asian communities, however, gangs tend to victimize new immigrants to scare them into silence.
• As gang activity expands, traditional boundaries and alliances have been blurred. Modern hybrid gangs are less likely to use traditional symbols, colors, and markings to identify themselves. Hybrid gangs may use the name of one traditional gang, use the colors of another, and align themselves with rivals for financial gain. This haphazard organizational structure hampers law enforcement's ability to categorize, monitor, and reduce gang activity.
• Currently, there is no standardized definition for gangs, gang activities, or gang members. This makes it difficult for jurisdictions to compare and share best practices in dealing with gangs in the community. Lack of a standardized definition also makes legislation and prosecution a challenge.
• Community denial hinders the ability to address and combat gang activity. Approximately 31 percent of Assessment respondents stated that their communities denied having a gang problem, had no response, or expressed no interest. Some communities do not want to recognize a gang problem because of the stigma associated with it, while other communities are silent from fear.

According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), “street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs are the primary distributors of illegal drugs on the streets of the United States….Gangs conduct criminal activity in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Although most gang activity is concentrated in major urban areas, gangs also are proliferating in rural and suburban areas of the country as gang members flee increasing law enforcement pressure in urban areas or seek more lucrative drug markets. This proliferation in nonurban areas increasingly is accompanied by violence and is threatening society in general.� (Source: Drugs and Gangs - Fast Facts)

There is no one solution for solving the local gang problem. According to the National Youth Gang Center, "the most effective response to youth gangs is a combination of interdependent prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies, selected by a community to target its emerging or chronic gang problems, which have been identified by a comprehensive, systematic assessment."

To assist law enforcement and parents in identifying and addressing gang crime, the COPS Office, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program (OJJDP) and FBI have developed A Parent's Quick Reference Card: Recognizing and Preventing Gang Involvement. This quick and easy reference guide provides common warning signs of gang involvement. Parents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with local gang symbols, seek help early, and consider contacting school officials, local law enforcement, faith leaders, and community organizations for additional assistance. The Quick Reference Card is available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Vietnamese. The COPS Office has developed a CD-ROM, Solutions to Address Gang Crime, which includes resources related to law enforcement responses for addressing gang activity, gang activity in specific populations, criminal behavior of gangs, and statistics and research on gangs.

In addition, the COPS Office has identified many resources to assist law enforcement and communities to address the issue of gangs. These resources are included in Guides and Reports, Training and Technical Assistance, and Other Resources.

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