What is the relation between drugs and gangs?
Street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs), and
prison gangs are the primary distributors of illegal drugs on the
streets of the United States. Gangs also smuggle drugs into the United
States and produce and transport drugs within the country.
Street gang members convert powdered cocaine into
crack cocaine and produce most of the PCP available in the United
States. Gangs, primarily OMGs, also produce marijuana and
methamphetamine. In addition, gangs increasingly are involved in
smuggling large quantities of cocaine and marijuana and lesser
quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and MDMA (also known as
ecstasy) into the United States from foreign sources of supply. Gangs
primarily transport and distribute powdered cocaine, crack cocaine,
heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, MDMA, and PCP in the United
States.
Located throughout the country, street gangs vary in
size, composition, and structure. Large, nationally affiliated street
gangs pose the greatest threat because they smuggle, produce,
transport, and distribute large quantities of illicit drugs throughout
the country and are extremely violent. Local street gangs in rural,
suburban, and urban areas pose a low but growing threat. Local street
gangs transport and distribute drugs within very specific areas. These
gangs often imitate the larger, more powerful national gangs in order
to gain respect from rivals.
Some gangs collect millions of dollars per month
selling illegal drugs, trafficking weapons, operating prostitution
rings, and selling stolen property. Gangs launder proceeds by
investing in real estate, recording studios, motorcycle shops, and
construction companies. They also operate various cash-based
businesses, such as barbershops, music stores, restaurants, catering
services, tattoo parlors, and strip clubs, in order to commingle drug
proceeds with funds generated through legitimate commerce.
To Top
What is the extent of gang operation and crime
in the United States?
There are at least 21,500 gangs and more than 731,000
active gang members in 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.
According to a 2001 Department of Justice survey, 20 percent
of students aged 12 through 18 reported that street gangs had been
present at their school during the previous 6 months. More than a
quarter (28%) of students in urban schools reported a street gang
presence, and 18 percent of students in suburban schools and 13
percent in rural schools reported the presence of street gangs. Public
schools reported a much higher percentage of gang presence than
private schools.
To Top
What are the dangers associated with gang
activity?
Large street gangs readily employ violence to control
and expand drug distribution activities, targeting rival gangs and
dealers who neglect or refuse to pay extortion fees. Members also use
violence to ensure that members adhere to the gang's code of conduct
or to prevent a member from leaving. In November 2004 a 19-year-old
gang member in Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced to 30 years in prison
for fatally shooting a childhood friend who wanted to leave their
local street gang.
Authorities throughout the country report that
gangs are responsible for most of the serious violent crime in the
major cities of the United States. Gangs engage in an array of
criminal activities including assault, burglary, drive-by shooting,
extortion, homicide, identification fraud, money laundering,
prostitution operations, robbery, sale of stolen property, and weapons
trafficking.
To Top
What are some signs that young people may be
involved in gang activity?
Changes in behavior such as skipping school, hanging
out with different friends or, in certain places, spray-painting
graffiti and using hand signals with friends can indicate gang
affiliation.
In addition, individuals who belong to gangs often
dress alike by wearing clothing of the same color, wearing bandannas,
or even rolling up their pant legs in a certain way. Some gang members
wear certain designer labels to show their gang affiliation. Gang
members often have tattoos. Also, because gang violence frequently is
glorified in rap music, young people involved in gangs often try to
imitate the dress and actions of rap artists.
Finally, because substance abuse is often a
characteristic of gang members, young people involved in gang activity
may exhibit signs of drug or alcohol use.
To Top
Other products of interest:
Check out Fast Facts on:
- 2C-T-7
- 5-MeO-AMT
- AMT
- BZP
- Crack cocaine
- Crystal methamphetamine
- Drug abuse and mental illness
- Drug-facilitated sexual assault
- Drug paraphernalia
- Drugs and the Internet
- DXM
- Fentanyl
- Foxy
- Fry
- GHB and analogs
- Heroin
- Inhalants
- Jimsonweed
- Ketamine
|
- Khat
- LSD
- Marijuana
- MDMA
- Methadone
- Methamphetamine
- Meth lab ID and hazards
- OxyContin
- PCP
- Powdered cocaine
- Prescription drugs
- Psilocybin
- Ritalin
- Rohypnol
- Salvia divinorum
- Soma
- Steroids
- Teens and drugs
- Triple C
- Yaba
|
|
|
Also available from NDIC:
- Huffing--The Abuse of Inhalants
- Prescription Drug Abuse and Youth
- Drugs, Youth, and the Internet
For more information on illicit drugs check out our web site at:
www.usdoj.gov/ndic. Call 814-532-4541 to request NDIC products.
Our addresses:
National Drug Intelligence Center
319 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Johnstown, PA 15901-1622
Telephone: 814-532-4601
FAX: 814-532-4690
NDIC Washington Liaison Office
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1001
McLean, VA 22102-3840
Telephone: 703-556-8970
FAX: 703-556-7807
NDIC publications are available on the following web sites:
ADNET: http://ndicosa
LEO: home.leo.gov/lesig/ndic
RISS: ndic.riss.net
INTERNET: www.usdoj.gov/ndic
To Top
|
