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The Department of Justice is leading the effort to combat the threat to the public order posed by national and international street gangs. The Department’s strategy is to achieve maximum impact at the national level against the most violent gangs in this country.
The Criminal Division’s Gang Unit is a specialized group of federal prosecutors who develop and implement strategies to attack the most significant national and transnational gangs operating in the U.S. These prosecutors formulate policy, assist and coordinate with local U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and work with numerous domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies. The Gang Unit works closely with analysts at the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC), and with law enforcement agents at the Gang Targeting, Enforcement and Coordination Center (Gang TECC) in a collective effort to target and dismantle the most serious gang related threats nationwide.
The National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) is a multi-agency center that integrates the gang intelligence assets of federal, state, and local law enforcement entities to serve as a centralized intelligence resource for gang information and analytical support to law enforcement agencies.
The National Gang Targeting, Enforcement & Coordination Center (GangTECC) is a multi-agency center that began operations in summer 2006 as the national anti-gang task force created by the Attorney General, and is designed to serve as a critical catalyst in a unified federal effort to help disrupt and dismantle the most significant and violent gangs in the United States. GangTECC can offer either direct support for those engaged in anti-gang initiatives or can connect interested parties to appropriate officials to provide guidance or assistance.
The Attorney General’s Report to Congress on the Growth of Violent Street Gangs in Suburban Areas was required by the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Appropriations, in reference to Commerce, Justice, Science, and related Agencies Appropriations Bill 2008 (H. Rept. No. 110-240, July 19, 2007). The report contains data and intelligence collected by the National Drug Intelligence Center and offers a look at various types of gangs, the regions where they operate, and the relationships of these gangs with drug trafficking organizations. The report also provides information on resources the Department of Justice allocates to combat gang violence.
The FBI investigates violent gangs and has redoubled its efforts to disrupt and dismantle them through intelligence-driven investigations and new initiatives. The FBI’s resources dedicated to violent crime are focused on the most acute problems threatening our society.
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) provides grants to tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to hire and train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test innovative policing strategies. COPS 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 COPS Office also contracts with practitioners and academics nationwide to produce and distribute a host of publications, videos, CDs and cards for law enforcement, school, and community officials that are directly relevant to gang issues. These materials can be accessed at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
The Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice. The G.R.E.A.T. Program is a school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curriculum. The program's primary objective is prevention and is intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership. For more detailed information regarding the G.R.E.A.T. curriculum, how to start a G.R.E.A.T. program in your community, and training and certification of G.R.E.A.T. officers, go the G.R.E.A.T. Web page.
Funds from the Anti-Gang Initiative enhance Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) task force efforts to combat gangs by building on effective strategies and partnerships allowing districts to target local issues and implement programs to meet local needs.
The National Gang Center (NGC), a collaborative effort between the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), features the latest information about anti-gang programs and links to a wide range of resources.
National Youth Gang Center (NYGC), sponsored by OJJDP, assists policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in their efforts to reduce youth gang involvement and crime by contributing information, resources, practical tools, and expertise towards the development and implementation of effective gang prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies.
Additional Information about Combating Gang Violence
For more information about the Department’s activities in this
area, consult the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, the Office
of Community Oriented Policing Service, the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Bureau
of Justice Assistance, and Criminal
Division Web sites. |
