Gangs and Criminal Justice Agencies
Taking Inventory of Your Gang Problem
If gangs are threatening your community, read this section to learn how to take back control. The section begins with background information on gangs and the criminal justice system response to gangs. The strategies and tactics section includes steps you can take regardless of whether gangs are a long-standing problem or are just beginning to take hold. Although the focus is on relatively short-term objectives, strategies are also included for developing positive alternatives to gangs for youth in your community.
Experienced community activists will tell you that your best chance against gangs is to take action at the first sign of them. In some communities, gangs are just now gaining a foothold, with parents, politicians, business owners, and even the police still "in denial." In many other neighborhoods, gang activity and violence are out of control and the ideal time to begin has passed. Either way, there are really only two choices: band together and take deliberate, well reasoned "teps to combat the problem, or give up and turn over what's left of the neighborhood to the gangs.
This section offers some background information about gangs and the criminal justice system's response to them, alollg with questions to ask when analyzing the gang problems in your neighborhood.
GANG TERRITORY: Most gangs are composed of young people who live in the same area-a block or two, a neighborhood, a multi-family apartment building or complex, a school area. Loyalty to the neighborhood (the "hood") is vitally important to many gangs, and it is common for gangs to have names that reflect this (57th Ave. Crips, Tortilla Flats, etc.). In fact, while gang shootings and assaults are sometimes drug-related, more often they occur when a gang believes its turf has been encroached upon, or when gang members believe they have been disrespected in some way.
GANG ACTIVITIIES: Youth in gangs, like other teenagers, spend a lot of time just hanging out together. The main differences are their expressions of loyalty to the gang and tlleir involvement in delinquent and criminal activity. They may be chronically truant, take lunch money, bully or intimidate other students or residents, fight, shoplift, drink, use drugs, spray graffiti, and commit other acts of vandalism. At the nlore extreme end of the spectrum, gang members may be involved in clrug crimes, stealing cars, weapons offenses, felony assaults, arson, extortion, drive-by shootings, and homicides. Gangs and guns are a lethal combination in some communities, with semiautomatic pistols as one of the most common weapons. Some gang members may travel out of state to buy guns and bring them back, and a few gangs have even had members enlist in tl1e military to learn about combat tactics and weapons.
ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP: Very few gangs are tightly structured and businesslike. Even large, violent gangs that claim to have members throughout a city are generally not well organized, but instead tend to be a loose affiliation of small, neighborhood-based gangs, sometimes called "sets." There are recognized leaders-usually the members with the most money, drug or gun connections, or reputations for being the toughest-but leadership status tends to come and go. Gangs that are well organized tend to be "dedicated" to a particular type of crime like drug dealing, extortion, robbery, burglary, auto theft, and others. Some gangs (such as the Mexican Mafia in California and several Southwestern states and the Vice Lords in Chicago) have leaders who exert control from their prison cells over gang activities back in their neighborhoods.
MIGRATION: A gang may have migrated to your neighborhood from another city, but it is more likely that it was started by local youth, sometimes with help from outsiders (for example, gang-involved youth whose parents sent them to live with relatives in what they hope is a safer neighborhood). In fact, many police gang experts believe "the spread of street gangs is more a spread of street gang culture than the development of individual gangs with a national infrastructure. While some street gangs have national scope, many are localized imitations of Los Angeles or Chicago street gangs."
RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND: Gangs are often, but not always, organized along racial or ethnic lines. Predominantly African American gangs may identify with (but not necessarily be closely linked with) gangs like the Crips in Los Angelcs or the Black Gangster Disciples (BGDs) in Chicago or Detroit; or they may be strictly local gangs. The gangs in the District of Columbia are called "crews." Primarily Hispanic gangs may be neighborhood-based and independent, or they may affiliate with a larger gang like the Latin Kings (to name just one). .Jamaican gangs, usually called "posses," and gangs whose members represent Asian cultures (Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Samoa, and others) may be found throughout the country. Caucasian gangs include motorcycle gangs; "skinheads," who have a white supremacist agenda; or "stoner" gangs, which are mostly into using drugs. Gangs, however, may also be racially mixed, a trend that seems to be increasing in some cities.
SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: Generally speaking, youth who belong to gangs tend to advertise their gang status, both by physical signs and symbols and by attitudes that reflect their rejection of authority and of conventional lifestyles. Nicknames ("monikers," or street names) are common. Gangs often distinguish themselves by wearing the same colors, clothing styles, clothing brands, hair styles, .jewelry, and tattoos; by "throwing" or "flashing" hand signs; or by using special symbols (crown, pitchfork, six-pointed star, etc.) in their graffiti or on their clothing or property. Popular styles or brands may change, and some symbols are not obvious. In one city, for example, tennis shoes hanging over a telephone wire indicated a gang presence. Finally, there are some gangs that don't "advertise"- members don't wear colors, act out in school, etc. A number of Asian gangs and drug-dealing gangs fall into this group.
AGE AND SEX: There are many accounts of children involved with gangs as early as elementary school, but more typically, gangs attract youth between the ages of about 14 and 21. However, some gangs have members in their twenties, thirties, or older. These members may be called "OGs," "old gangsters," or "original gangsters." Gangs may be all male or all female, or they may have full-fledged members of both sexes. All-male gangs are the most common, with females involved on the periphery. Female friends of gang members may just socialize with them, or they may also commit delinquent or criminal acts (steal weapons, hold or sell drugs, fight, act as spies). They are often subjected to physical or verbal abuse. Just as alarming, some communities report increasing numbers of all-female gangs, some of which focus on particular crimes, such as ATM robberies, forgery, or shoplifting.
GANG INITIATION AND STATUS: Prospective gang members may be required to prove themselves by going through an initiation ritual before being accepted into a gang. This may involve committing a criminal act or taking a beating (sometimes called "jumping in" or "beating in"). Girls who join a primarily male gang may be initiated the same way, or by committing a sexual act ("sexing in"). Police often use the term "hard core" to describe the relatively small number of members who have a strong commitment to a gang and who commit violent or other serious crimes. Those with a somewhat lesser commitment and less frequent involvement in serious crimes may be classified by police as gang "associates." The term "wannabe" is sometimes used to refer to young children or teens who show an interest in gangs but are not members. For example, they may adopt a gang's style of dress, scribble gang symbols on notebooks, or run errands for gang members. Many gang experts discourage the term wannabe because they do not want to exaggerate these children's gang involvement or add them inappropriately to a database of gang members.
POLICE: Some police departments have specialized gang units, and others do not. Lack of a gang unit may be a matter of money, priorities, or "official" denial of gang problems; or the department may believe that other strategies are more effective. The point is to find out what your police department is doing to deal with gangs.
If the department does have a gang unit, it may be part of field operations, investigations, juvenile, or some other division or bureau. The unit's duties may be intelligence gathering, maintaining a gang database, enforcement, investigations, coordination with other jurisdictions, prevention, education, or some combination of these. Some gang units operate anonymous tip lines. Some have special teams dispatched to diffuse or intervene in school-based gang incidents.
It is also important to discover your department's overriding gang-enforcement strategies. For example, is the emphasis on developing complex cases against gang leaders, street- level enforcement, or both? What is its relationship with other agencies, particularly the schools and community organizations in your neighborhood? How do officers' cultural sensitivity and language skills match up with the ethnic and racial backgrounds of gang members in your neighborhood? If the department has a gang unit, how does it coordinate with colnmunity policing officers assigned to your neighborhood? How does it coordinate with drug enforcement units?
PROBATION AND PAROLE: Thejuvenile or adult probation departments serving your city may also have gang units. In some cities, police gang officers train probation personnel on gang signs, symbols, and activities. Police may team with probation officers to identify gang members, returning to custody those who violate the terms of their probation or parole. Questions to ask include these:
Juvenile probation officers and supervisors in the field office closest to your neighborhood should be able to tell you more about the gangs that threaten you. They also have considerable power when it comes to holding violent gang members accountable.
PROSECUTION: You will also want to know more about the prosecutor's and court's response to gangs. For example, does the prosecutor's office use "vertical prosecution " in cases involving gang members? (Vertical prosecution occurs when one prosecutor or a team of prosecutors is assigned exclusively to handle gang-related cases.) What information can the prosecutor give you about gang cases in your \leighborhood? (Some prosecutors maintain their own gang databases while others use databases operated by the police.) Does the prosecutor use a "community prosecution" approach, with one or more prosecutors assigned exclusively to a community that includes your neighborhood'? What protections are available for victims and witnesses in gang cases?
CORRECTIONS: Most issues related to juvenile conections go beyond the scope of this chapter. Still, as part of your strategy, you will want answers to these questions:
These questions are critical because, even when correctional services are available, their chances for long-term success are greatly diminished if the youth returns to a neighborhood where gangs "rule" and positive alternatives are limited.
To be sure your resources and energy are not misdirected, get all the information you can about the particular gang problem in your neighborhood. Be sure to find out if there is an existing anti-gang coalition you can contact-either a citywide group, or groups in specific neighborhoods. Ask the police and prosecutor about state and local gang-related laws and ordinances.
You may well find that "official" police, school, court, and other data about gangs is scarce. Many police agencies, for example, do not classify crimes as gangrelated or not. Spend time talking to individual police officers and supervisorscommunity policing officers assigned to your neighborhood, the precinct commander and community policing coordinator, gang and drug unit personnel, and juvenile officers. Meet with school administrators, teachers, counselors, and coaches. Ask about truancy and dropout rates and what is being done about them.
Tip: Find out how your police define the term "gang-related." In some departments, any crime involving a known gang member is classified as gang-related, whether or not the person was acting on behalf of the gang. This may end up overstating the gang problem. Other departments do not classify a crime as gang-related unless it is considered gang- motivated. This may tend to understate the gang problem.
Talk to recreation center supervisors, business owners, faith community leaders, public housing and other multi-family housing staff, hospital emergency room personnel-anyone who has firsthand knowledge of gangs in your community. Talk to former gang members as well as neighborhood youth who have successfully avoided gang involvement. Look for youth groups already involved in addressing gang issues, either through tile schools, churches, or other neighborhood organizations.
Questions to Ask:
Tip: Observe and record neighborhood conditions. Use a checklist or form to record problem locations (places where gangs congregate, drug dealing hot spots, abandoned buildings, vacant lots, etc.) and conditions (such as broken street lights) that encourage gang activity. Photograph graffiti and write date and lacation on the back of each photo.
Use these tactics to send a clear message that the community will not tolerate gangs. You may find other useful tactics in the chapters on open-air drug markets, indoor drug markets, and drugs in mufti-family housing areas.
Remove Gang Graffiti Immediately. This is one of the clearest, least complicated steps a community can take to demonstrate its unwillingness to tolerate gangs and violence. Some jurisdictions have promised to clean off graffiti in special zones within 24 hours. See Chapter 7 (Graffiti) for more information about how to conduct successful paint-overs and for other graffiti abatement tactics.
Take Back a Park or a Street Corner. Hold community events (rallies, block parties, festivals, etc.) in public places that "belong" to gangs.
Demonstrate. Hold marches or vigils to demonstrate your unwillingness to live in fear and violence. Mothers Against Gang Violence, Orange Hat brigades, and other groups can provide tips on organizing these events.
Join with Others. If there is a citywide anti-gang coalition or similar group, make sure your neighborhood is represented on it.
If gangs are operating in your schools, take immediate steps to send a clear message of intolerance by using tactics like these:
Taking stock of your neighborhood's gang problems includes identifying locations and conditions (poor lighting, litter, abandoned buildings, etc.) that allow gangs to congregate and commit crimes unobserved. You can improve some of these conditions in the short run by holding cleanup days, pushing for improved city services, and taking other direct action. Bring pressure on city officials and businesses to help you install street lighting, tighten public housing screening policies, and enforce lease provisions. Remove abandoned and junk cars, overgrown shrubbery, and public pay phones (or restrict them to outgoing calls only).
To effect long-term change, you'll need to determine who "owns" the particular problem. Who is legally responsible for fixing or removing it? Which agency (health department, public works, code enforcement, alcoholic beverage control, etc.) is charged with seeing that owners comply with ordinances, health codes, or other regulations? Police officers responsible for community policing, crime prevention, and crime prevention through environmental design should be able to help by referring you to contact people in the correct agency and by helping you cut through red tape.
Civil Nuisance Abatement and Other Civil Remedies. Nuisance laws, noise ordinances, health and building codes, and other civil remedies can be used to require property owners to change the conditions that contribute to the gang problem. Target liquor stores that sell alcohol to underage pati'ons, tattoo parlors, vacant lots and buildings, residences used as drug houses, and other locations. The city attorney's office in Los Angeles, for example, sends ]etters to private owners stating the alleged violation and giving the owner a chance to comply voluntarily. The office works with owners who attempt to remedy the situation and pursues legal cases against those who do not.
Signs. Encourage the posting of "No Trespassing" and "No Loitering" signs where permitted. Post your own block watch, "No Gangs," "We Report Gang Crimes," and other messages that show your resolve to combat gangs.
Curfews. Consider lobbying for a curfew ordinance. Ideally, parents and their children together determine and abide by curfews. But in many jurisdictions where there is citizen support, local governments have passed curfew ordinances. These must be carefully drawn to protect constitutional rights. The Dallas, Texas, curfew ordinance is considered a model for several reasons. The need for a curfew was backed by statistics on the level of juvenile crime committed during the proposed curfew hours: the ordinance states an intent to protect children from harm, not simply prevent them from congregating; and the law is narrowly drawn, allowing exceptions for many legitimate reasons. As a result, the Dallas curfew law has passed a series of court tests, and the U .S. Supreme Court recently refused to hear a case challenging that law. Even when a curfew law is carefully constructed, though, there are other important issues to consider. Police must have the resources needed to enforce the law; the law must be enforced consistently and fairly; children will need a safe place to go when parents cannot be found; and there should be some means to hold parents accountable.
Take a hard look at the reasons why youth join gangs. A striking number of gang members talk about their gangs as "family," suggesting that gangs offer a substitute for something missing at home. There are no easy answers. Sometimes youth join gangs for protection-they are afraid not to do so. Sometimes the appeal is the excitement represented by the gang li[estyle-quick money, cars, parties, girls, alcohol, drugs. Some children are in gangs because their relatives, including parents or even grandparents, are in gangs. Others [eel beaten down by poverty, unemployment, crime, or school failure, and have little hope for a better future.
Most gang-involved youth need more than just one thing (a decent recreation center, tor example, or even a good friend) to break free of gangs, clime, and drugs. But each small step can help, especially when it is part of a broader, long-term strategy to turn things around. Remember that not every program or approach that sounds good really does good. Collect information about what has been done in similar communities around the country. Ask questions about why various approaches were successful and others were not. (For example, was the idea off base, or was it a good idea that was poorly executed?) Contact the National Youth Gang Center and other resources. (See References.) In this section, we will suggest briefly Some approaches that may help meet your community's needs. Tip: Local collcge or university students may be eager 10 help. In I~acine, Wisconsin, a sludent research team at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside, Department of Sociology, talked to 500 Racine residents, including gang members, community leaders; police, media representatives, and others. The students' report helped Racine get grants for two youth service projects related to gangs.
The Ad Hoc Group Against Crime in Kansas City, Missouri, has a long history of community activism to combat drugs, gangs, and violent crillle through a combination or cooperation with law enforcement and, more recently, the development or alternatives for youth. Ad Hoc was formed in 1977 when concerned black leaders and residents organized a meeting to discuss the recent murders of nine black women. This was a confrontational meeting, and hundreds of residents showed up to express their anger and fear.
It was from this meeting that the grass roots, volunteer-driven Ad Hoc Group Against Crime was formed. Since that time, Ad Hoc has worked on four main objectives:
The proliferation of crack cocaine in the 1980s brought a new emphasis on combating drugs and gangs. Ad Hoc organized "anti-dope house" marches, conducted court watches, commissioned reports on black homicides and other issues, and formed a rape victims' task force.
Gangs... Turning the Corner. This video, narrated by James Earl Jones, comes in 60minute and 30-minute versions and highlights anti-gang el-forts throughout the country, with an emphasis on prevention and what community-based groups can do. A vailable from California Image Marketing, Rancho Cordova, CA. 916-638-8383.
Ad Hoc Group Against Crime 3330 Troost Kansas City, MO 64109 Community mobilization against crime, drugs, and gangs; youth programs.
Boys and Girls Clubs of America 771 ISt Avenue New York, NY 10017 212-351-5911 Gang prevention, recreation, enrichment, education, and other youth programs.
Los Angeles City Attorney's Office Martin Vranicar, Jr. Assistant City Attorney 1600 City Hall East 200 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-237-1006 Civil abatement information.
North Carolina Center for the Prevention of School Violence Dr. Pamela L. Riley, Director 3824 Barrett Dr., Suite 303 Raleigh, NC 27609 919-571-4954 or 800-299-6054 Comprehensive information on school resource officer programs.
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Office ofJustice Programs U.S. Department of Justice 1100 Vermont Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20530 202-514-2058 http://www.cops.usdoj.gov COPS anti-gang initiative training and technical assistance. or call Institute for Law and J ustice 101 8 Duke St. Alexandria, V A 22314703-684-5300 Clearinghouse for special COPS gang projects.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Ol'fice of.Justice Programs, U.S. Depaliment ofJustice National Youth Gang Center P.O. Box 12729 Tallahassee, FL 3231 7904-385-0600, ext. 259 or 285 http://www.iir.com/nygc Clearinghouse for juveni1e gang information.
Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives I~everend Leon Kelly, Executive Director 161 5 California St. Denver, CO 80202303-893-4264
Seattle Partners Against Youth Gun Violence Options, Choices, Consequences Program c/o Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Section 610 Third A ve. Seattle, W A 98104 206-684- 7929 School-based gun violence education program.
In the early 1990s, Ad Hoc raised the money to hire a small staff. In addition to continuing its direct-action, crime-fighting objectives, Ad Hoc has added several programs for youth, including Youth and Gang Services, which operates a 24-hour youth helpline; Project Redirect, which includes gang awareness, violence reduction training, AIDS awareness, and other components; Project Intercept, which targets middle school youth at high risk for gang involvement and low school achievement; and other programs and services directed at ex-offenders.
Publications
"Curfew: An Answer to Juvenile Delinquency and Victimization?" Juvenile Justice Bulletin. (April 1996). U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 800-8513420.
Curry, G. David. (1995). Responding to Gang-related Crime and Delinquency: A Review of the Literature. Washington: U.S. Department ofJustice, National Institute ofJustice. 800-851- 3420.
Esbensen, Finn-Aage. (September 1996). "Gang Resistance Education and Training: The National Evaluation." The Police Chief. Alexandria, Virginia: International Association of Chiefs of Police. 703-8366767.
Finn, Peter, and K. M. Healey. (November 1996). Preventing Gang- and Drug-Related Witness Intimidation. Washington: U .S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. 800-851-3420.
Gangs: A Community Response. (September 1994). Sacramento, California: Crime and Violence Prevention Center, California Attorney General's Office. 916-3247863.
Howell, James C. ( 1997). Youth Gang Violence Prevention and Intervention: What Works. Report prepared for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office ofJuvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Tallahassee, Florida: National Youth Gang Center. 904-3 8 5- 0600.
Huff, Ronald (ed.). ( 1990). Gangs in America. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.
Institute for Law and Justice. (1997). Urban Street Gang Enforcement. Washington: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of J ustice Assistance. 800-688-4252.
Juvenile Curfew Enforcement: Concepts and Issues Paper. (May 1994). Alexandria, Virginia: International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) National Law Enforcement Policy Center. 703-836-6767.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Serviccs Family and Youth Services Bureau National Clearinghouse of Families and Youth P.O. Box 13505 Silver Spring, MD 20911 301-608-8098 Information on Youth Gang Drug Prevention Program and other programs.
Youth Development, Inc. Gang Intervention Program 1710 Centro Familiar, S. W. Albuquerque, NM 87105 505-873-16044 Ruben Chavez, Deputy Director
The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) Street Gang Symposium, Selected Findings, April 12. 1995.