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.
On November 28, 2007, Attorney General Michael Mukasey opened the National
Gang Intelligence Center and National Gang Targeting, Enforcement and
Coordinating Center.
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.
The National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC)
is a multi-agency effort 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 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.
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. |