From to , juvenile arrests for felony offenses declined These downward trends are an indication that early prevention and resource programs in schools and community policing are working for California's youth. Street gangs in the west are frequently involved in the distribution of marijuana, methamphetamine and other drugs, according to a National Gang Threat Assessment report.
The number of cases of identity and credit card theft perpetrated by gang members has increased. Gangs in the west are employing an increased level of sophistication in the planning and execution of criminal acts, especially against law enforcement officers. National The Federal Bureau of Investigations reported in The Department of Justice estimates there are approximately 30, gangs, with , members, impacting 2, communities across the United States.
Innocent people in these communities face daily exposure to violence from criminal gangs trafficking in drugs and weapons and gangs fighting among themselves to control or extend their turf and their various criminal enterprises. Suburban communities throughout the nation are encountering gang-related problems, once largely confined to large cities. Data from the NDTS indicates that of the 3, law enforcement agencies responding to the survey, were from suburban areas reporting gang activity.
Of these agencies, estimated that between 1 and gang members were active in their areas; the remaining 79 reported that or more gang members were active in their jurisdictions. The institution of the Rockefeller drug laws in and stiffer prison penalties for adults, had a bitterly ironic result: Drug dealers began to recruit minors to do much of their selling on the streets.
While gangs have become a significant part of the drug trade a recent study that gangs are involved in about a quarter of the drug arrests , most researchers argue that youth gangs are not major drug traffickers. The second and perhaps the most devastating change is the availability of guns. It is estimated that gang related homicides increased nearly five times between and The nature of the violent act has changed from the fist, stick, and knife to the gun.
To visit the offices of the Gang Unit at Riker's Island is to visit a virtual museum of gang paraphernalia. The walls are covered with photographs of gang member tattoos , red and blue bandanas from the Crips and the Bloods, and rosaries with black and yellow beads used by members of the Latin Kings. There is a display of home-made weaponry: knives made from pocket combs, razor blades fashioned from bottle caps, and even a small gun made from a toilet paper roll and rubber bands.
And on the desk are computers used to enter the information into the city's gang database. It is all part of the Corrections Department's "zero tolerance" policy on gangs and the city's attempt to enhance its gang intelligence. At Riker's Island, gang members are stripped of any kind of identifying clothing or trinkets, forced to live in the same rooms with rival gangs, and any act of violence automatically adds time to their sentence.
The Correction's Department says it is working. The incidence of violence in the city's jail is at the lowest in over a decade.
If any student exhibits gang behavior-wearing colors, using hand signals, graffiti, or any criminal activity-they are immediately removed from school. Efforts to pass legislation to control gangs are generally more difficult.
Most of the state legislation has to do with graffiti and tougher sentences for assault. Last year in the city, Councilmembers John Sabini and Michel Abel introduced a bill that would give police the power to arrest suspected gang members loitering on street corners.
The legislation drew criticism from civil rights groups and others who thought the law would lead to police abuse. Currently the proposed legislation is still sitting in committee.
While legislators and police often take the credit for drops in gang related crime, the ebb and flow of gangs are more susceptible to other less tangible factors. There are several theories of why New York City has less of a problem with gangs than cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.
Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership. Highlights of the National Youth Gang Survey. Juvenile Justice Bulletin: Gang Prevention. Predictors of Youth Violence. The Impact of Gangs on Communities. Violence by Gang Members, Resources Gender-Specific Programming. Research and Evaluation Projects on Gangs.
Risk and Protective Factors Data Tool. Websites Federal Bureau of Prisons. Gangs Security Threat Groups. National Gang Center. Youth Topics Adverse Effects. Gang Involvement Prevention. Girls, Juvenile Delinquency, and Gangs.
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