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• Youth Gangs: Background, Legislation, and Issues [January 25, 2008]

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  "Gang activity and related violence threaten public order in a diverse range of communities in the United States today. Congress has long recognized that this problem affects a number of issues of federal concern, and federal legislation has been introduced in the 110th Congress to address some aspects of the issue. Youth gangs have been an endemic feature of American urban life. They are well attested as early as the 18th century and have been a recurrent subject of concern since then. Contemporary views of the problem have been formed against the background of a significant adverse secular trend in gang activity during the last four decades. In particular, the rapid growth of gang membership, geographical dispersion, and criminal involvement during the violent crime epidemic -- associated with the emergence of the crack cocaine market during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s -- have intensified current concerns. The experience of those years continues to mark both patterns of gang activity and public policy responses toward them. […] This report provides background information on the issue of youth gangs, including data on gangs and gang crime. It reviews existing anti-gang initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels, and describes some of the legislation proposed during the 110th Congress to address the gang problem, as well as some of the issues raised by those bills. This report will be updated in response to significant legislative activity in the 110th Congress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Franco, Celinda

  2008-01-25
• Growth of Youth Gang Problems in the United States: 1970-98

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  "The last quarter of the 20th century was marked by significant growth in youth gang problems across the United States. In the 1970's, less than half the States reported youth gang problems, but by the late 1990's, every State and the District of Columbia reported youth gang activity. In the same period, the number of cities reporting youth gang problems mushroomed nearly tenfold--from fewer than 300 in the 1970's to more than 2,500 in 1998, and the number of counties citing youth gang problems grew even more precipitously, from about 100 in the 1970's to nearly 1,200 in 1998--an increase of more than 1,000 percent. While research conducted over the past three decades has resulted in numerous studies, surveys, and reports addressing various aspects of America's youth gangs, we are indebted to Dr. Walter Miller, the author of this Report, and his collaborators for compiling such a comprehensive study of the growth of youth gang problems in the United States from 1970 to 1998. The Report's trend and rate analyses are used to project prospects for future gang locality trends. While we hope that the Report's 'crystal ball' is clear in seeing a leveling off or even reduction in the prevalence of youth gang problems, we concur wholeheartedly with the author's judgment that comprehensive, quality gang surveys should continue to be conducted to monitor our progress."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Miller, Walter B. (Walter Benson), 1920-

  2001-04
• 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment

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  "The pervasiveness of gangs throughout society is undeniable. They incite fear and violence within our communities. Gangs threaten our schools, our children, and our homes. Gangs today are more sophisticated and flagrant in their use of violence and intimidation tactics. As they migrate across the country, they bring with them drugs, weapons, and criminal activity. Acceptance of the problem and joint community and law enforcement responses are our best defense. The 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment brought to light several new trends in gang activity and gang migration. Hispanic gang membership is growing, especially in the Northeast and South. Gangs are more sophisticated in their use of technology and computers and are using these tools to perpetrate criminal acts. Respondents reiterated that gangs remain a constant threat, are still growing in membership and violence, and that denial by communities is a gangs greatest ally."

  United States. Department of Justice

  2005
• Serial No. 109-8: Immigration and the Alien Gang Epidemic: Problems and Solutions: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, April 13, 2005

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  From the opening statement of John N. Hostettler: "Today's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims hearing will examine the alien gang epidemic that is facing the United States. At this hearing we will examine the role of aliens in gang crimes, investigate the immigration factors that have shaped the gang epidemic facing this country, and assess the use of the immigration laws in controlling alien gang crime. While there are an estimated 750,000 to 850,000 gang members in the United States today, there are no firm estimates on how many of those gang members are aliens and how many are citizens. What is apparent, however, is that gang crime is a growing problem. Over 631 gang-related homicides occurred in 2001, and by 2003, the number of gang killings had jumped to 819. In addition to homicide, gang members have been directly linked to the narcotics trade, human trafficking, document fraud, and violent assaults." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John N. Hostettler, Sheila Jackson Lee, Steve King, Maxine Waters, Daniel E. Lungren, Michael J. Garcia, Marsha L. Garst, Heather MacDonald, and Mai Fernandez.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2005
• Serial No. 112-140: Beyond the Streets: America's Evolving Gang Threat, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, July 25, 2012

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  From the opening statement of F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.: "Today's hearing examines the ongoing threat posed by gangs and the evolution of gangs in America. Over the past 20 or more years, gangs have evolved from localized criminal organizations to international criminal enterprises vying for control of sophisticated criminal schemes, often with the threat or use of violence. Today, gangs are increasingly engaged in non-traditional gang-related crimes such as alien smuggling, human trafficking and prostitution. Gangs are also engaging in white-collar crime such as counterfeiting, identity theft and mortgage fraud. They have become transnational criminal organizations and compete with many other criminal organizations. According to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment, there are approximately 1.4 million gang members belonging to more than 33,000 gangs in the United States. It has been reported that the number of gang members in the U.S. increased by 40 percent since 2009." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., Robert C. Scott, Robert F. Green, Richard W. Stanek, Tim King, and Constance L. Rice.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2012
• 2013 National Gang Report

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  From the Executive Summary: "The 2013 National Gang Report (NGR) highlights current and emergent trends of violent criminal gangs in the United States. Consistent with the 2011 report, the 2013 installment illustrates that gangs continue to commit violent and surreptitious crimes-both on the street and in prison-that pose a significant threat to public safety in most US jurisdictions across the nation. A comprehensive overview of gang activity in the United States, the 2013 NGR examines gangs from a national standpoint and explains how they function as sophisticated criminal networks that engage in all levels of crime in order to further their objectives to gain control of the territories they inhabit and generate revenue. As the 2013 NGR demonstrates, gangs expand their reach through migration into communities across the nation; collaboration with other illicit networks like drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and rival gangs; active recruitment of membership; and through the absorption of smaller, less visible neighborhood-based gangs (NBGs), which continue to negatively impact US communities at a greater rate than national-level gangs. Intelligence herein also reviews how gangs perpetuate their criminal enterprises through their ability to adapt to changing social and economic environments; exploit new technology; target law enforcement; evade law enforcement detection; and enroll or employ within educational facilities, law enforcement agencies, government bodies, and through all branches of the US military."

  National Gang Intelligence Center (U.S.)

  2013
• United States Attorneys' Bulletin: Gang Prosecutions, Volume 62 Number 3, May 2014

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  This edition of the United States Attorneys' Bulletin covers Gangs. The following articles are included: "Indicia of Association: Using Indicia Search Warrants in Gang Prosecutions"; "Gangs, Guns, Drugs, and Money"; "Sex Trafficking and Gangs: A Deliberate Approach"; "Gangs and White Collar Crime"; "La Vida Loca Nationwide: Prosecuting Sureño Gangs Beyond Los Angeles"; "DOJ [Department of Justice] International Resources: Advice and Assistance on Criminal Gang Issues and Capacity Building"; "Expert Codebreakers in Court"; "Using 'Digital Fingerprints' (or Hash Values) for Investigations and Cases Involving Electronic Evidence"; "Snitches Get Stitches: Combating Witness Intimidation in Gang-Related Prosecutions"; "Developing a Step-by-Step Application of the New Orleans Strategy to Combat Violent Street Crews in a Focused Deterrence Strategy"; and "Reentry Efforts and Gangs: Project GRIP [Gang Reentry Initiative Program]."

  Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys

  2014-05
• Modern-Day Youth Gangs

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  "The more recent proliferation of gangs into less traditional areas - smaller cities, towns, suburbs, and even rural communities - has led experts to question whether modern-day youth gangs differ significantly from their predecessors. Drawing on data from the 1996 and 1998 National Youth Gang Surveys, the authors of this Bulletin compare the characteristics of gangs and gang members in jurisdictions with later onset of gang problems with those of gangs and gang members in jurisdictions with earlier onset of gang problems. Their findings provide interesting insights into variations in gang problems based on time of onset."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Egley, Arlen; Howell, James C.; Gleason, Debra K.

  2002-06
• Youth Gangs in Indian Country

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  "Since 1995, the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) has surveyed law enforcement agencies across the nation about youth gang activity. Because tribal police departments were not included in earlier surveys, however, youth gang activities in Indian country have been largely absent from survey findings. This Bulletin describes the nature and makeup of youth gangs in Indian country. The findings presented are the result of a 2001 NYGC survey - tailored specifically for Indian communities - that asked federally recognized Indian communities to describe their experiences with youth gang activity. Researchers found that youth gangs in Indian country did not differ greatly from youth gangs in comparably sized communities. Indian country youth gangs, however, were noticeably different from youth gangs as depicted through national statistics. The study also included comparisons with findings from a previous study of youth gang activity in the Navajo Nation. Drawing on these research findings, the Bulletin proposes prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Egley, Arlen; Major, Aline K.; Howell, James C.

  2004-03
• Gangs in Central America [Updated March 27, 2008]

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  "The 110th Congress maintains a keen interest in the effects of crime and gang violence in Central America and its spillover effects on the United States. Since February 2005, more than 1,758 alleged members of the violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang have been arrested in cities across the United States. These arrests have raised concerns about the transnational activities of Central American gangs, and governments throughout the region are struggling to find the right combination of suppressive and preventive policies to deal with them. […] An inter-agency committee worked together to develop a U.S. Strategy to Combat Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico, announced at a July 2007 U.S.-Central American Integration System (SICA) summit on security issues. The strategy, which is now being implemented, states that the U.S. government will pursue coordinated antigang activities through five broad areas: diplomacy, repatriation, law enforcement, capacity enhancement, and prevention. During the first session of the 110th Congress, several Members introduced immigration legislation -- H.R. 1645 (Gutierrez), S. 330 (Isakson), and S. 1348 (Reid) -- that included provisions to increase cooperation among the United States, Mexico, and Central America in the tracking of gang activity and in the handling of deported gang members, but none of those bills were enacted. […] The Consolidation Appropriations Act, FY2008 (H.R. 2764/P.L. 110-161), included the provision of $8 million to the State Department to combat criminal youth gangs, $3 million more than the Administration's request. During its second session, the 110th Congress may consider the Mérida Initiative, a new anticrime and counterdug aid package for Mexico and Central America introduced by the Administration in October 2007. […] This report describes the gang problem in Central America, discusses country and regional approaches to deal with the gangs, and analyzes U.S. policy with respect to gangs in Central America."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2008-03-27
• Gangs in Central America [May 10, 2005]

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  In the past year, there has been increasing attention by the press and policymakers on the effects of crime and gang violence in Central America, and its spillover effects on the United States. The February 2005 arrest of some 103 members of the violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in several cities across the United States " including a man charged in connection with a December 2004 bus massacre in Honduras that killed 28 people " raises concerns about the transnational activities of Central American gangs. Citizens in several Central American countries have identified crime and gang violence among the top issues of popular concern, and Honduras and El Salvador have recently enacted tough anti-gang legislation. Gang violence may threaten political stability, inhibit social development, and discourage foreign investment in Central America. Many analysts predict that illicit gang activities may accelerate illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and trafficking in persons and weapons to the United States. Some analysts maintain that contact between gang members in both regions is increasing, and that this tendency may serve to increase gang-related violent crime in the United States. Others assert that unless the root causes of gang violence, which include poverty, joblessness, and the social exclusion of at-risk youth, are addressed in a holistic manner, the problem will continue to escalate. This report will be updated periodically.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2005-05-10
• 2000 Survey of Youth Gangs in Indian Country

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  "Since 1995, the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) has conducted an annual survey of law enforcement agencies regarding gang activity. The National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS) is based on a nationally representative sample of more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies serving larger cities, suburban counties, smaller cities, and rural counties. As tribal police departments are not included in the survey sample, detailed data about youth gang activity in Indian country1 has largely been absent. In 2001, NYGC implemented a survey of youth gangs in Indian country, surveying 577 federally recognized tribal communities to measure the presence, size, and activity of youth gangs in these communities. The survey defines an Indian 'community' as: [P]ersons of American Indian, Alaska Native, or Aleut heritage who reside within the limits of Indian reservations, pueblos, rancherias, villages, dependent Indian communities, or Indian allotments, and who together comprise a federally recognized tribe or community. Communities also include people who have been recognized by the United States government as a tribe or tribal community, but who do not occupy tribal trust, tribally owned, or Indian allotment lands. Communities are the people and land together or tribal community viewed as a group. Land without the people is not considered a community for the purpose of this survey. Survey respondents provided information for 'youth gangs,' defined as groups of youth or young adults in their community that they or 'other responsible tribal members or service providers [were] willing to identify or classify' as 'gangs.' [...] Twenty-three percent (n=69) of Indian communities reported active youth gangs during 2000 (see Figure 1). For the remainder of this Fact Sheet, these will be called the 'respondents.' Seventy percent of communities reported no gang activity, and 7 percent reported they could not make a determination."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Egley, Arlen; Major, Aline K.

  2002-06
• Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership

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  "Youth gang membership is a serious and persistent problem in the United States. One in three local law enforcement agencies report youth gang problems in their jurisdictions. One in four high school freshmen report gangs in their schools. Limited resources at the national, state, tribal and local levels make it more important than ever that we make full use of the best available evidence and clearly demonstrate the benefit of strategies to prevent gang-joining. In acknowledgment of these realities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) formed a partnership to publish this book. It is critical that those who make decisions about resources -- as well as those who work directly with youth, like teachers and police officers, community services providers and emergency department physicians -- understand what the research evidence shows about how to prevent kids from joining gangs. The NIJ-CDC partnership drew on each agency's distinctive strengths: NIJ's commitment to enhancing justice and increasing public safety is matched by CDC's dedication to health promotion and prevention of violence, injury and disability. By combining perspectives, lessons and evidence from public safety and public health, NIJ and CDC provide new insights into the complex problems of gangs and gang membership. Public health and public safety workers who respond to gang problems know that after-the-fact efforts are not enough. An emergency department doctor who treats gang-related gunshot wounds or a police officer who must tell a mother that her son has been killed in a drive-by shooting are likely to stress the need for prevention -- and the complementary roles that public health and law enforcement must play -- in stopping violence before it starts. Given our shared commitment to informing policy and practice with the best available evidence of what works, CDC and NIJ brought together some of the nation's top public health and criminal justice researchers to present core principles for gang-membership prevention."

  National Institute of Justice (U.S.); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  Simon, Thomas R.; Ritter, Nancy; Mahendra, Reshma R.

  2013
• Likelihood of Collaboration between Central American Transnational Gangs and Terrorist Organizations

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  "This thesis focuses on the growing threat of transnational criminal gangs spreading throughout Central America and the United States (U.S.). More specifically, the thesis addresses the Mara Salvatrucha (MS- 13) gang, examining how it emerged as a formidable public security threat. A common misconception holds transnational gangs emerged in Central America; these gangs actually have their origins in U.S. gang lifestyle. Since the early 1990's, MS-13 has established criminal networks specializing in drug, arms, goods, and human smuggling. These operations pose a grave threat to U.S. national security: 2004 intelligence reports indicated a possible meeting between an al-Qaeda lieutenant and MS-13 members. Consequently, local and federal U.S. law enforcement agencies have cooperated in monitoring transnational gang activity in the U.S. and the western hemisphere. While MS-13 is not anti-American, the gang will work with the highest bidder. Therefore, the thesis addresses the organized crime-terrorist organization debate within the academic and intelligence communities, adding how globalization serves to facilitate this link. The thesis helps to explain how current Central American legislation is forcing transnational gangs to go 'underground' to survive. Findings show the need for a more multi-faceted strategy to ensure long-term solutions to the gang problem not obtainable with current heavy-handed methods, while concurrently reducing the risk of a terrorist-transnational gang link in the western hemisphere."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Poveda, Carlos A.

  2007-03
• Gangs in Central America [December 4, 2009]

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  "The 111th Congress has maintained an interest in the effects of crime and gang violence in Central America, and on the expanding activities of transnational gangs with ties to that region operating in the United States. The violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and its main rival, the '18th Street' gang (also known as M-18) continue to threaten citizen security and challenge government authority in Central America. Gang-related violence has been particularly acute in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, which have among the highest homicide rates in the world. [...]. Between February 2005 and September 2009, U.S. officials arrested some 2,572 alleged MS-13 members in cities across the United States, many of whom were subsequently deported. Evidence suggests, however, that previously deported members of both the MS-13 and the M-18 often reenter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Mexico border. Several U.S. agencies have been actively engaged on both the law enforcement and preventive side of dealing with Central American gangs. An inter-agency committee worked together to develop a U.S. Strategy to Combat Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico, first announced at a July 2007 U.S.-Central American Integration System (SICA) summit on security issues. The strategy, which is now being implemented, states that the U.S. government will pursue coordinated anti-gang activities through five broad areas: diplomacy, repatriation, law enforcement, capacity enhancement, and prevention. [...]. This report describes the gang problem in Central America, discusses country and regional approaches to deal with the gangs, and analyzes U.S. policy with respect to gangs in Central America."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2009-12-04
• Gangs in Central America [Updated October 17, 2008]

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  "The 110th Congress maintains a keen interest in the effects of crime and gang violence in Central America and its spillover effects on the United States. Since February 2005, more than 1,758 alleged members of the violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang have been arrested in cities across the United States. These arrests have raised concerns about the transnational activities of Central American gangs, and governments throughout the region are struggling to find the right combination of suppressive and preventive policies to deal with them. [...] An inter-agency committee worked together to develop a U.S. Strategy to Combat Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico, announced at a July 2007 U.S.-Central American Integration System (SICA) summit on security issues. The strategy, which is now being implemented, states that the U.S. government will pursue coordinated antigang activities through five broad areas: diplomacy, repatriation, law enforcement, capacity enhancement, and prevention. During the first session of the 110th Congress, several Members introduced immigration legislation -- H.R. 1645 (Gutierrez), S. 330 (Isakson), and S. 1348 (Reid) -- that included provisions to increase cooperation among the United States, Mexico, and Central America in the tracking of gang activity and in the handling of deported gang members, but none of those bills were enacted. [...] The Consolidation Appropriations Act, FY2008 (H.R. 2764/P.L. 110-161), included the provision of $8 million to the State Department to combat criminal youth gangs, $3 million more than the Administration's request. During its second session, the 110th Congress may consider the Mérida Initiative, a new anticrime and counterdug aid package for Mexico and Central America introduced by the Administration in October 2007 [...] This report describes the gang problem in Central America, discusses country and regional approaches to deal with the gangs, and analyzes U.S. policy with respect to gangs in Central America."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2008-10-17
• Gangs in Schools: Responding to Gangs in Schools: A Collaborative Approach to School Safety

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  From the Impact to Schools: "Gang affiliation is not something that students leave behind when they come to school. Gang members do not leave their behaviors, attitudes, and conflicts outside the school environment. Gangs, unchecked and unidentified in a school setting, often engage in threat and intimidation; physical and cyber bullying; fighting; recruiting; and criminal activities such as the introduction and use of weapons, assault, sex trafficking, vandalism, and illegal drug sales. The absence of a well-developed, strategic, collaborative, and effective school safety plan can lead to violence and other unsafe and disruptive activities within a school setting."

  National Gang Center (U.S.)

  2019-09
• Can Civil Gang Injunctions Change Communities? A Community Assessment of the Impact of Civil Gang Injunctions

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  "Research Goals and Objectives: This study evaluates the community impact of a locally popular gang intervention strategy, the Civil Gang Injunction, on neighborhood residents. Researchers predicted immediate and long-term effects on residents perceptions and experience of crime, gang activity and neighborhood quality. The study results offer guidance for program development for practitioners contemplating use of this strategy. The study surveyed 797 San Bernardino residents in five neighborhoods eighteen months prior and 1229 residents six months subsequent to the issuance of an injunction. Roughly two-thirds were Latino with the remainder equally distributed among other ethnic categories. All participants were adults; two-thirds were female."

  National Criminal Justice Reference Service (U.S.)

  Maxson, Cheryl Lee; Hennigan, Karen; Sloane, David

  2004-04
• Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs

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  "This bulletin presents research on why youth join gangs and how a community can build gang prevention and intervention services. The author summarizes recent literature on gang formation and identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention. The following are some key findings: 1) Youth join gangs for protection, enjoyment, respect, money, or because a friend is in a gang. 2) Youth are at higher risk of joining a gang if they engage in delinquent behaviors, are aggressive or violent, experience multiple caretaker transitions, have many problems at school, associate with other gang-involved youth, or live in communities where they feel unsafe and where many youth are in trouble. 3) To prevent youth from joining gangs, communities must strengthen families and schools, improve community supervision, train teachers and parents to manage disruptive youth, and teach students interpersonal skills."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Howell, James C.

  2010-12
• Responding to Gangs in the School Setting

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  "Gang members do not leave their conflicts, attitudes, and behaviors outside the school doors. Some of the most dangerous gang activities in any community may take place in and around local schools. Gang members encounter each other at school during class changes, in the lunchroom, in common areas, and during assemblies and school events. Students may loiter on or around the school campus before and after school, and conflicts may occur between rival gangs. In some instances, gang members come to school to engage in criminal behavior (drug dealing) or to confront rivals. Because of the potential for violent gang interactions at school, school staff members and administrators need to formulate a plan to deal with gang activity. This article provides an overview of action steps that schools can take to prevent, intervene in, and suppress violent gang activity, as well as crisis response plans that can be developed to address potential acts of school violence including, but not limited to, gang activity."

  United States. Bureau of Justice Assistance; United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Arciaga, Michelle; Sakamoto, Wayne; Jones, Errika Fearbry

  2010-11
• 1997 National Youth Gang Survey: Summary

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  "The largest and most comprehensive national gang survey to date, the 1997 National Youth Gang Survey, conducted by the National Youth Gang Center, contacted nearly 5,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. To allow for both comparative and trend analysis, the 1997 survey used the same sample as the 1996 survey. Survey results indicate that the percentage of jurisdictions reporting active youth gangs decreased from the previous year, from 53 percent in 1996 to 51 percent in 1997. Some 816,000 gang members were active in some 30,500 youth gangs in 1997, a modest decrease from the previous year's figures of 846,000 and 31,000, respectively. Despite these declines, however, there are still serious problems to be addressed. For example, every city with a population of 250,000 or greater reported the presence of youth gangs. In addition, the number of gang members increased in small cities and rural counties, as youth gangs continued to spread beyond the confines of the Nation's major cities."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  National Youth Gang Center (U.S.)

  1999-12
• 1995 National Youth Gang Survey: Program Summary

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  "The '1995 National Youth Gang Survey', conducted by the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC), is the first of what is intended to be an annual survey that will allow comparisons of changes and trends in coming years. The results of this survey confirm what earlier studies had suggested--that there has been a growth in the pervasiveness of the Nation's youth gang problem over time. NYGC contacted more than 4,000 agencies--the largest number ever surveyed. Reports and estimates from responding agencies indicate that there were more than 660,000 youth gang members and more than 23,000 gangs active in their jurisdictions during 1995. Although these are the largest totals reported to date, the actual numbers are likely to be higher. Not all law enforcement agencies were surveyed, some of those surveyed did not participate, and the data were not extrapolated. While, therefore, the youth gang problem is undoubtedly larger than the survey indicates, the data NYGC has gathered provide information that has significance at both a national and community level. The survey found, for example, that gang activities are spreading to smaller communities and rural counties. The survey also found that no State, and few major cities, are gang-free. Nearly all agencies that reported a gang problem felt that the severity of the problem would either remain the same or grow worse."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Institute for Intergovernmental Research (U.S.)

  1997-08
• Youth Gangs in Rural America

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  This article examines the results of a study merging National Youth Gang Surveys (NYGS) data with economic, demographic, and other data concerning youth gangs in America. The article shows that - contrary to popular belief - gang problems are occurring in communities of all sizes and locations, although they are still most heavily concentrated in medium and large cities. "The prevailing image of youth gangs - with their symbols, colors, and territorial graffiti - is that they are found in the poorest neighborhoods of Americas large cities. Certainly, they are. In recent years, however, such gangs also have been popping up in outlying rural areas, far away from urban decay. A number of assumptions about these rural gangs are popular in the criminal justice research literature. For example, researchers commonly believe that once a youth gang establishes itself in an area, it will be around for quite some time. A study focused on the numbers and locations of gangs in rural America reveals that this and many other assumptions about rural youth gangs are inaccurate."

  National Institute of Justice (U.S.)

  Wells, L. Edward; Weisheit, Ralph A.

  2004-07
• Influence of Prison Gang Affiliation on Violence and Other Prison Misconduct

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  "Most of the empirical research and practically all of the fieldwork conducted on gangs has been devoted to street gangs. In this paper, automated data from the Bureau of Prisons were used to evaluate the contribution of prison gang affiliation to violent and other forms of misconduct within the institution. We also examined a measure of gang embeddedness to see if, similar to the street gang research, it can be shown that core members of a prison gang were more likely to commit violent and other kinds of misconduct than more peripheral members. A composite measure of gang misconduct is also presented to represent the threat that a particular gang poses to prison order. The 'threat index' is model-based and provides a graphical representation of the relative magnitude and heterogeneity of threat posed by different gang affiliations."

  United States. Bureau of Prisons

  Gilman, Evan; Wallace, Susan; Gaes, Gerald G.

  2001-03-09
• Kenosha Gang Project: Preliminary Report

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  "In December 1986, the Task Force on Gangs commissioned the university of Wisconsin, Parkside to conduct a study on the local gang situation. The main focus of the study was to analyze existing data within tha Kenosha Police Department, the Kenosha County Department of Social services, and the Kenosha Unified School District. The research team also interviewed key people in the community and self-identified gang members. The goal of this study was to provide Kenosha with a better understanding of the local street gang situation. The unique aspect of the Kenosha Gang project was the participation of twelve University of Wisconsin, Parkside students who worked on this research project. To be more specific, the students developed the research design, collected the data, analyzed the data, and contributed to the final report. This project was offered as a sociology course during Spring 1987, and continued through the summer. such a project has provided students with an opportunity to gain 'hands on' experience doing sociological research. Moreover, the students were able to provide the community with a much underutilized resource, which has resulted in considerable savings to the city. The objectives of the Kenosha Gang project were: 1. To tabulate and analyze three existing data bases as they relate to gangs. 2. To interview key people in the community who work with local gang members. 3. To interview self-identified gang members in Kenosha. 4. To provide students with an opportunity to do research and to provide hands on experience in the various aspects of sociological research."

  United States. Department of Justice; National Institute of Justice (U.S.)

  Takata, Susan R.; Baskin, Sheila D.

  1987
• National Gang Center Newsletter [Summer 2012]

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  "This [National Gang Center] publication aims to educate and inform practitioners, researchers, law enforcement, and others with a shared interest in gangs on current trends such as injunctions, significant court decisions, emerging gangs, gang trainings, and strategies being used in communities to deal with gangs." Articles in this issue include: "The Gang Member Migration Proposition-Part 1"; "Effective Gang Reentry a Priority for Criminal Justice"; "It's About Time: Prevention and Intervention Services for Gang-Affiliated Girls"; and "Gang Violence Protocols for Medical Facilities".

  National Gang Center (U.S.); United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; United States. Bureau of Justice Assistance

  2012
• National Gang Center Newsletter [Spring 2012]

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  This is the inaugural issue of the National Gang Center (NGC) Newsletter. "This publication aims to educate and inform practitioners, researchers, law enforcement, and others with a shared interest in gangs on current trends such as injunctions, significant court decisions, emerging gangs, gang trainings, and strategies being used in communities to deal with gangs." Articles in this issue include: "Challenges to Schools' Anti-Gang Policies"; "Gang Activity and the Falling Crime Rate"; "North Carolina's Approach to Youth Gangs"; "Bullying in Schools: An Overview"; and "G.R.E.A.T. [Gang Resistance Education And Training] Initiative in Central America."

  National Gang Center (U.S.); United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; United States. Bureau of Justice Assistance

  2012
• Gangs and Crime in Latin America, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the Committee on the International Relations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session, April 20, 2005

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  From the opening statement of Dan Burton: "Today the Subcommittee will examine the growing threat of street gangs on security and stability in Latin America and the United States. Gangs of various kinds have existed in the United States and Latin America for years, traditionally in large metropolitan areas. In recent years, however, gang activities have grown increasingly violent and have spread to smaller cities, as well as rural areas. According to the United States Department of Justice, some 30,000 gangs, with about 800,000 members, operate in the United States. They range from small local groups to large multi-state and multinational organizations, and their growth was fueled by the explosive use of illegal drugs in the United States during the 1980s. A 2001 survey by the National Youth Gang Center showed that while all racial groups are represented in street gangs, nearly half of all members are Hispanic, many of them the children of illegal immigrants. Today's high profile street gangs are a different, more dangerous breed than their predecessors. Although, just as violent as the gangs in the past, today's street gangs are more organized with members holding clandestine meetings to exchange guns, drugs, plot strategies, target enemies, and share intelligence information on law enforcement, all the hallmarks of a criminal syndicate or terrorist network." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Adolfo A. Franco, Dan Burton, Chris Swecker, John P. Torres, Stephen C. Johnson, Kelly L. Smith, Manuel Orozco, and Robert Menendez.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2006
• Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment

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  "Rising crime is threatening democratic development and slowing economic growth across Central America and Mexico. Gang activity has transcended the borders of Central America, Mexico, and the United States and evolved into a transnational concern that demands a coordinated, multi-national response to effectively combat increasingly sophisticated criminal gang networks. Whereas gang activity used to be territorially confined to local neighborhoods, globalization, sophisticated communications technologies, and travel patterns have facilitated the expansion of gang activity across neighborhoods, cities, and countries. The monikers of notorious gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the 18th Street gang (Barrio 18) now appear in communities throughout the United States, Central America, and Mexico. Members of these international gangs move fluidly in and out of these neighboring countries. The U.S. Congress has recognized that some gangs in Latin America and the United States are international criminal organizations whose criminal activities in the Americas have damaging effects on national security by increasing domestic crime levels and facilitating drug trafficking. To combat these gangs which continue to expand their cross-border networks and illegal activities, the United States should act quickly and seize the opportunity to work with Central America and Mexico to develop a coordinated, effective response."

  United States. Agency for International Development

  2006-04
• Highlights of the 2005 National Youth Gang Survey

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  This fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention discusses the findings from the 2005 National Youth Gang Survey. "Annually since 1995, the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) has conducted the National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS) of law enforcement agencies across the United States regarding the presence and characteristics of local gang problems. This Fact Sheet summarizes NYGS findings from the 2005 survey. The nationally representative sample included the following agencies: All police departments that serve cities with a population of 50,000 or more (n=624) (larger cities). All suburban county police and sheriff's departments (n=740) (suburban counties). A randomly selected sample of police departments that serve cities with a population between 2,500 and 49,999 (n=695) (smaller cities). A randomly selected sample of rural county police and sheriff's departments (n=492) (rural counties). NYGC asked survey recipients to report information solely for youth gangs, defined as a group of youth or young adults in your jurisdiction that you or other responsible persons in your agency or community are willing to identify as a "gang." Motorcycle gangs, hate or ideology groups, prison gangs, and exclusively adult gangs were excluded from the survey."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  2008-07