DOCSLIB.ORG

The Youth Gangs, Drugs, & Violence Connection

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Youth Gangs, Drugs, & Violence Connection ENT OF M JU U.S. Department of Justice T S R T A I P C E E D B O J Office of Justice Programs C S F A V M F O I N A C I J S R E BJ G O OJJ DP O F PR Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention JUSTICE Shay Bilchik, Administrator January 1999 The Youth Gangs, From the Administrator The 1980’s saw an increase in youth Drugs, and Violence gang violence and the rise of the crack cocaine epidemic. The public linked these two developments, often Connection with implications of cause and effect. Conventional wisdom, however, is not always reliable. Viewed through James C. Howell and Scott H. Decker the lens of public perception rather than that of scientific knowledge, the The proliferation of youth gangs since Historical Overview of relationships among youth gangs, 1980 has fueled the public’s fear and mag- Gang Drug Use and drugs, and violence are more often nified possible misconceptions about youth talked about than understood. In The gangs. To address the mounting concern Trafficking Youth Gangs, Drugs, and Violence about youth gangs, the Office of Juvenile The predominant image of youth gangs Connection, James Howell and Scott Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s is consistent with a California study of Decker add to our understanding of (OJJDP’s) Youth Gang Series delves into adult (also referred to as criminal) gang the interrelationships of these factors many of the key issues related to youth members conducted by Skolnick and and address relevant questions such gangs. The series considers issues such as colleagues (1988) a decade ago. These re- as the following: gang migration, gang growth, female in- searchers contended that the two major “Is drug trafficking a main activity of volvement with gangs, homicide, drugs and youth gangs?” violence, and the needs of communities and youth who live in the presence of 1 Youth gangs are considered to consist of adoles- “Is drug trafficking a major cause of youth gangs. cents and young adults from the ages of 12 to 24. violence in youth gangs?” Unfortunately, there is no commonly accepted param- The popular image of youth gangs eter of either the age range or proportion of individu- “Are there other important sources ties them directly to drugs and violent als below a certain age (i.e., a youth) that can be used of youth gang violence?” crime (Klein, 1995).1 How interrelated to differentiate youth gangs from adult gangs. This are youth gangs, drugs, and violent makes definitive conclusions from the research diffi- The authors make critical distinctions crime? Is drug trafficking a main activity cult and exacerbates the difference between research between drug gangs and street gangs findings and real world experiences of practitioners of youth gangs? Is drug trafficking a that further enhance our understand- concerned with the prevention of gang involvement ing of the gang phenomenon, as does main cause of violence in youth gangs and the suppression of gang activity. The term “youth or only a correlate? Are there other im- gang” is commonly used interchangeably with “street their exploration of the connections portant sources of gang violence? Be- gang,” referring to neighborhood or street-based between youth gangs and adult fore this OJJDP Bulletin addresses these youth groups that are substantially made up of indi- criminal organizations and the role questions, a brief historical overview of viduals under the age of 24. "Street gangs" may in- of firearms in gang violence. clude both youth gangs and adult criminal gang drug use, trafficking, and violent organizations. Motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, racial It is my hope that in describing the crime is provided. Studies of drug-traf- supremacists, and other hate groups are excluded. relationships among youth gangs, ficking operations are then reviewed to Miller’s definition of a youth gang is applicable to this drugs, and violence, this Bulletin will provide a better understanding of how review: “A youth gang is a self-formed association of help communities begin to address illegal drug sales typically are con- peers, united by mutual interests, with identifiable these problems more effectively. trolled and managed. The Bulletin con- leadership and internal organization, who act collec- tively or as individuals to achieve specific purposes, cludes with a detailed review of studies Shay Bilchik including the conduct of illegal activity and control of Administrator of the gangs, drugs, and violence con- a particular territory, facility, or enterprise” (Miller, nection and an examination of other 1992:21). Unless otherwise noted, the term "gangs" sources of gang violence. refers to youth gangs. Los Angeles gangs, the Crips and Bloods, older African-American adult gang mem- had become entrepreneurial and were bers in Chicago were reported to be sig- expanding their drug-trafficking opera- nificantly involved in drug dealing tions to markets in other cities; where (Spergel, 1995). drug markets appeared, so did violent Early gang studies do not tie violence to crime. Although this research did not drug trafficking because gangs evidenced address the order of occurrences and the little involvement in drug sales. The first overlap of adult gang violence and street major gang study (Thrasher, 1927) de- drug sales, youth gangs are still charac- scribed the drug dealing of Chicago’s Chi- terized mainly by public perceptions nese tongs, but gang violence mainly con- conveyed in the California studies and sisted of fighting. An account of early 20th by popular media images rather than by century east coast adult gangs linked gang scientific knowledge (Decker and Kempf, violence to territorial fights among orga- 1991; Hunzeker, 1993; Jackson, 1997; nized crime groups that used teenagers in Johnson, 1989; Miller, 1990). “numbers running” and as lookouts in Little mention is made of gang drug use gambling and bootlegging operations and trafficking in gang studies published (Sante, 1991). Except for occasional fight- before the 1960’s and 1970’s (Klein, 1971; ing, violent crime by youth gangs was rela- Short and Strodtbeck, 1965; Spergel, 1964). tively rare until the latter part of this cen- By all accounts, gang involvement in drug tury (Miller, Geertz, and Cutter, 1962). use and trafficking was either very limited or unnoticed before the 1960’s (Wilkinson Growing Involvement in and Fagan, 1996). Moore (1991) described Drugs and Violent Crime heroin and some barbiturate use among The early to mid-1980’s saw rapid Los Angeles gang members in the 1940’s, growth in the use of cocaine as crack be- mostly after they left gangs. In the 1950’s came the drug of choice in the inner cit- and into the 1960’s, youth gang members ies (Fagan, 1996; Fagan and Chin, 1990; (Chin, 1990; Chin and Fagan, 1990; Fagan, displayed ambivalence about gang mem- Klein and Maxson, 1994). Trend data that 1989). Studies also show differences in the ber drug use and trafficking (Spergel, would indicate whether gang members extent of drug use. For example, Hill, 1995). Some gangs of that era used—or were responsible for the increased Howell, and Hawkins (1996) found that at least tolerated—marijuana. Heroin- prevalence of cocaine use during this gang membership was related to increased using cliques were common in East Los period are not available. However, sev- marijuana use but not crack cocaine use Angeles gangs by the middle of the 1950’s eral studies document considerable (except among youth who were in the gang (Bullington, 1977). Other gang cliques, the youth and adult gang involvement in the for only 1 year). Huff (1996) reported partying members of gangs, began to use drug trade after the cocaine epidemic gangs that used large amounts of all kinds barbiturates (Moore, 1978). Cloward and began around 1985.2 The Chicago Vice of drugs. Fagan (1989) found variations in Ohlin’s (1960) typology of youth gangs put Lords, a large and violent criminal street drug use among different gangs and sev- drug users in a “retreatist” subculture of eral other studies found predominantly gang (Dawley, 1992; Keiser, 1969; Spergel, 4 addicts (withdrawing from active involve- 1995), grew during this era, providing drug-trafficking youth gangs. ment in the gang). Even in the 1970’s, drug one example that suggests gangs and For the most part, the findings of the use did not appear to be a dominant form crack sales emerged concurrently. studies outlined in the previous para- of illegal activity among gang members, Research conducted in the 1980’s and graph apply only to males. Some cities, either as a proportion of their own arrests such as Detroit (Taylor, 1993) and San or in comparison with arrested nongang 1990’s has documented extensive youth Francisco (Lauderback, Hansen, and youth (Miller, 1992). and adult gang member involvement in drug use and generally higher levels of Waldorf, 1992), found an increasing num- In his historical account of gangs, use compared with nongang members.3 ber of females involved in gang drug traf- Spergel (1995) noted that in some in- ficking and violent crime, but the consen- stances drug-abusing members, particu- However, gang members do not all use sus is that female involvement in these larly those who used heroin, were forced drugs or do not use them extensively behaviors has not increased commensu- out of gangs in the 1950’s and 1960’s (and rately with the increase among males also in the 1990’s) because they could not (Chesney-Lind, 1993; Maxson, 1995; 2 be relied on in fights with other gangs. See Anderson, 1990; Block and Block, 1993; Decker Moore and Hagedorn, 1996). Gangs have also been reported to drive and Van Winkle, 1994, 1996; Hagedorn, 1991, 1994a, 1994b; Maxson, Gordon, and Klein, 1985; Padilla, 1992; Why has youth gang involvement in drug traffickers out of the neighborhood Perkins, 1987; Reiner, 1992; Sanchez-Jankowski, 1991; drug trafficking increased in the past de- (Short and Strodtbeck, 1965, Spergel, Sanders, 1994; Skolnick, 1989; Taylor, 1989, 1990; cade? Fagan (1993) suggested two reasons: 1964).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gang Definitions, How Do They Work?: What the Juggalos Teach Us About the Inadequacy of Current Anti-Gang Law Zachariah D
    Marquette Law Review Volume 97 Article 6 Issue 4 Summer 2014 Gang Definitions, How Do They Work?: What the Juggalos Teach Us About the Inadequacy of Current Anti-Gang Law Zachariah D. Fudge [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/mulr Part of the Criminal Law Commons Repository Citation Zachariah D. Fudge, Gang Definitions, How Do They Work?: What the Juggalos Teach Us About the Inadequacy of Current Anti-Gang Law, 97 Marq. L. Rev. 979 (2014). Available at: http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/mulr/vol97/iss4/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Marquette Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marquette Law Review by an authorized administrator of Marquette Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FUDGE FINAL 7-8-14 (DO NOT DELETE) 7/9/2014 8:40 AM GANG DEFINITIONS, HOW DO THEY WORK?: WHAT THE JUGGALOS TEACH US ABOUT THE INADEQUACY OF CURRENT ANTI-GANG LAW Precisely what constitutes a gang has been a hotly contested academic issue for a century. Recently, this problem has ceased to be purely academic and has developed urgent, real-world consequences. Almost every state and the federal government has enacted anti-gang laws in the past several decades. These anti-gang statutes must define ‘gang’ in order to direct police suppression efforts and to criminally punish gang members or associates. These statutory gang definitions are all too often vague and overbroad, as the example of the Juggalos demonstrates.
    [Show full text]
  • An Introduction to Gangs in Virginia
    An Introduction to Gangs in Virginia Office of the Attorney General Photographs Provided By: Virginia Gang Investigators Association Virginia Department of Corrections Fairfax County Gang Unit Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office Boys & Girls Clubs of Virginia Galax Police Department Richmond Police Department unless otherwise specified Videos Provided By Dr. Al Valdez and are NOT from Virginia Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II Attorney General of Virginia American Violence Contains some graphic content Overview I. Facts About Gangs II. Identifying Signs of Gang Association III. Safety Issues for EMS Part I FACTS ABOUT GANGS Gangs In History Gangs have been present throughout human history. Blackbeard and other pirates plundered the Caribbean during the 1600’s and 1700’s. The word “Thug” dates back to India from around 1200, and refers to a gang of criminals. Gangs In History Irish gangs were a part of riots in NYC during the 1860’s. Gangs like “The Hole in the Wall Gang” and Billy the Kid’s Gang robbed in the Southwest during the 1800’s. Gangs In History Picture from The United Northern and Southern Knights of the Ku Klux Klan website with members in Virginia. This from a 2007 cross lighting ceremony. Al Capone’s Organization and the Ku Klux Klan are examples of prominent gangs in the 1900’s. Gangs Today Many of today’s gangs can trace their roots to the later half of the 20th Century. El Salvador Civil War – 1980’s. The Sleepy Lagoon Boys – 1940’s Zoot Suit Riots. The “Truth” in Numbers There are at least 26,500 gangs and 785,000 gang members in the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Mara Salvatrucha: the Most Dangerous Gang in America
    Mara Salvatrucha: The Deadliest Street Gang in America Albert DeAmicis July 31, 2017 Independent Study LaRoche College Mara Salvatrucha: The Deadliest Street Gang in America Abstract The following paper will address the most violent gang in America: Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13. The paper will trace the gang’s inception and its development exponentially into this country. MS-13’s violence has increased ten-fold due to certain policies and laws during the Obama administration, as in areas such as Long Island, New York. Also Suffolk County which encompasses Brentwood and Central Islip and other areas in New York. Violence in these communities have really raised the awareness by the Trump administration who has declared war on MS-13. The Department of Justice under the Trump administration has lent their full support to Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) to deport these MS-13 gang members back to their home countries such as El Salvador who has been making contingency plans to accept this large influx of deportations of MS-13 from the United States. It has been determined by Garcia of Insight.com that MS-13 has entered into an alliance with the security threat group, the Mexican Mafia or La Eme, a notorious prison gang inside the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization [Knights Templar] peddles their drugs throughout a large MS-13 national network across the country. This MS-13 street gang is also attempting to move away from a loosely run clique or clikas into a more structured organization. They are currently attempting to organize the hierarchy by combining both west and east coast MS-13 gangs.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Gangs in the United States
    1 ❖ History of Gangs in the United States Introduction A widely respected chronicler of British crime, Luke Pike (1873), reported the first active gangs in Western civilization. While Pike documented the existence of gangs of highway robbers in England during the 17th century, it does not appear that these gangs had the features of modern-day, serious street gangs. Later in the 1600s, London was “terrorized by a series of organized gangs calling themselves the Mims, Hectors, Bugles, Dead Boys [and they] fought pitched battles among themselves dressed with colored ribbons to distinguish the different factions” (Pearson, 1983, p. 188). According to Sante (1991), the history of street gangs in the United States began with their emer- gence on the East Coast around 1783, as the American Revolution ended. These gangs emerged in rapidly growing eastern U.S. cities, out of the conditions created in large part by multiple waves of large-scale immigration and urban overcrowding. This chapter examines the emergence of gang activity in four major U.S. regions, as classified by the U.S. Census Bureau: the Northeast, Midwest, West, and South. The purpose of this regional focus is to develop a better understanding of the origins of gang activity and to examine regional migration and cultural influences on gangs themselves. Unlike the South, in the Northeast, Midwest, and West regions, major phases characterize gang emergence. Table 1.1 displays these phases. 1 2 ❖ GANGS IN AMERICA’S COMMUNITIES Table 1.1 Key Timelines in U.S. Street Gang History Northeast Region (mainly New York City) First period: 1783–1850s · The first ganglike groups emerged immediately after the American Revolution ended, in 1783, among the White European immigrants (mainly English, Germans, and Irish).
    [Show full text]
  • HISTORY of STREET GANGS in the UNITED STATES By: James C
    Bureau of Justice Assistance U.S. Department of Justice NATIO N AL GA ng CE N TER BULLETI N No. 4 May 2010 HISTORY OF STREET GANGS IN THE UNITED STATES By: James C. Howell and John P. Moore Introduction The first active gangs in Western civilization were reported characteristics of gangs in their respective regions. by Pike (1873, pp. 276–277), a widely respected chronicler Therefore, an understanding of regional influences of British crime. He documented the existence of gangs of should help illuminate key features of gangs that operate highway robbers in England during the 17th century, and in these particular areas of the United States. he speculates that similar gangs might well have existed in our mother country much earlier, perhaps as early as Gang emergence in the Northeast and Midwest was the 14th or even the 12th century. But it does not appear fueled by immigration and poverty, first by two waves that these gangs had the features of modern-day, serious of poor, largely white families from Europe. Seeking a street gangs.1 More structured gangs did not appear better life, the early immigrant groups mainly settled in until the early 1600s, when London was “terrorized by a urban areas and formed communities to join each other series of organized gangs calling themselves the Mims, in the economic struggle. Unfortunately, they had few Hectors, Bugles, Dead Boys … who found amusement in marketable skills. Difficulties in finding work and a place breaking windows, [and] demolishing taverns, [and they] to live and adjusting to urban life were equally common also fought pitched battles among themselves dressed among the European immigrants.
    [Show full text]
  • Gang Recognition Guide
    Gang Recognition Guide As gangs become an increasing issue in our society, education is the key to recognizing their activity and understanding what they are about. However, when discussing gangs, a working defi nition must be developed. Gangs are three or more individuals, using the same name, sign or symbol who commit criminal acts individually or as a group to further their agenda. The following information is not exhaustive in describing gangs and their background, but is a basic framework to educate concerned community members. Crips: This street gang originally started in South Central Los Angeles in the 1960’s. Stanley “Tookie” Williams met with Raymond Lee Washington to unite local gang members to battle neighboring street gangs. Today, the Crips are one of the largest and most violent gangs, involved in murders, robberies, drug dealing and many other criminal pursuits. Crips identify with the color blue. Their biggest rivals are the Bloods and disrespect in many ways - calling them “slobs”. Crips call themselves “Blood Killas” and cross the letter “b” out or leave it off altogether. Crips do not use the letters “ck” as it denotes “Crip Killer” and substitute it for “cc” (as in “kicc” for “kick”). While traditionally African-American, today’s Crip membership are multi-ethnic. Bloods: The Bloods were formed to compete against the Crips. Their origins stem from a Piru street gang (initially a Crip set) who broke away during an internal gang war and allied with other smaller street gangs to form the present day Bloods. Since the Bloods were originally outnumbered 3 to 1 by the Crips, they had to be more violent.
    [Show full text]
  • CBP Enforcement Statistics Fiscal Year 2021 | U.S
    U.S. Customs and Bolder Pro tection(CBP) Encounters US Border Patrol (USBP) Title 3 Apprehensions, Office of Field Operations (OFO) Title 3 Inadmissible V olumes, U.S. Customs and and Title 42 Expulsions by Fiscal Y ear (F Y) Border Protection FY Component Demographic All All All Citizenship Grouping Title of Authority All All Reset Filters FY ■ 2013 ■ 2 0 1 9 ■ 2020 ■ 2021 (FYTD) FY Southwest Land Border Encounters by Month 150K OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP Total 2021 71,726 71,462 73,513 216,701 (FYTD) 2020 45,139 42,643 40,565 36,585 36,687 34,460 17,10 6 23,237 33)349 40,929 50)314 57,674 458,088 2019 60,781 62,469 60,794 58,317 76,545 103,731 109,415 144,116 104,311 81,777 62,707 52,546 977,509 2013 34,871 39)051 40,519 35,905 36,751 50,347 51,168 51,862 43,180 40,149 46,719 50,568 521,090 FY Comparison by Demographic Single Adults FMUA UAC / Single Minors Accompanied Minors 600K 4>Í2 1 ° 400K I 0 1 o 200K OK CO <y. R 05r-4 P/"* CO <y. R 05w-4 P CO O'. R 05r-4 P CO <y. R R R R R R R RS R R R r E R R R R Source: USBP and OFO official year end reporting; for FY18-FY20;USBP and OFO m ontheni reporting; forFY21 to date.
    [Show full text]
  • State Statutory Responses to Criminal Street Gangs
    Washington University Law Review Volume 73 Issue 2 Limited Liability Companies January 1995 The Jets and Sharks Are Dead: State Statutory Responses to Criminal Street Gangs David R. Truman Washington University School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_lawreview Recommended Citation David R. Truman, The Jets and Sharks Are Dead: State Statutory Responses to Criminal Street Gangs, 73 WASH. U. L. Q. 683 (1995). Available at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_lawreview/vol73/iss2/11 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington University Law Review by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE JETS AND SHARKS ARE DEAD: STATE STATUTORY RESPONSES TO CRIMINAL STREET GANGS I. INTRODUCTION Organized crime in America has progressed through a variety of incarnations, from the outlaw gangs of the Wild West to the glorified gangsters of the early half of this century (Al Capone, John Dillinger) to the Mafia ("La Cosa Nostra"), personified in the 1980s and 1990s by the Gambino crime family and its "Dapper Don," John Gotti. But today, organized crime in America is increasingly controlled by criminal street gangs, a new level of organized crime1 that consistently outpaces the efforts of law enforcement to control it. A far cry from the dancing, singing Jets and Sharks of West Side Story,2 these gangs are sophisticated, well- organized criminal enterprises. Los Angeles County, California, alone has an estimated 130,000 gang members who accounted for a record 430 of Los Angeles' 1,100 murders in 1992.4 Although Los Angeles' gang 1.
    [Show full text]
  • 149300NCJRS.Pdf
    If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. t I • CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DANIEL E. LUNGREN Attorney General GREGORY G. COWART, Director DMSION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT CHARLES C. HARPER, Deputy Director DMSION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT • BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ROBERT J. LUCA, Chief Whitt Murray, Assistant Chief Charles C. Jones, Special Agent In Charge, Intelligence Operations Kirby T. Vickery, Manager, Investigative and Support Services Jerry Marynik, Gangs 2000 Project Coordinator " Supervisor, Gangs/Criminal Extremists Unit " 4949 Broadway P.O. Box 163029 • Sacramento, CA 95816-3029 • 149300 U.S. Department of Justice Natlonallnstltute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactiy as received from the person or organization originating it. Points of view or op!nlons stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or pOlicies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been ge~1rfornia Dept. of Justice to the Ni',tional Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permission of the copyrighl owner. • '\ • PREFACE • This report is an effort to give the reader a sobering glimpse of the future regarding criminal street gang crime and violence in California. The report attempts to assess the current gang situation and forecast gang trends for the year 2000. Criminal street gang members are terrorizing communities throughout California where the viciousness of the gangs have taken away many of the public's individual freedoms. In some parts of the state, gang members completely control the community where they live and commit their violent crimes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dictionary Legend
    THE DICTIONARY The following list is a compilation of words and phrases that have been taken from a variety of sources that are utilized in the research and following of Street Gangs and Security Threat Groups. The information that is contained here is the most accurate and current that is presently available. If you are a recipient of this book, you are asked to review it and comment on its usefulness. If you have something that you feel should be included, please submit it so it may be added to future updates. Please note: the information here is to be used as an aid in the interpretation of Street Gangs and Security Threat Groups communication. Words and meanings change constantly. Compiled by the Woodman State Jail, Security Threat Group Office, and from information obtained from, but not limited to, the following: a) Texas Attorney General conference, October 1999 and 2003 b) Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Security Threat Group Officers c) California Department of Corrections d) Sacramento Intelligence Unit LEGEND: BOLD TYPE: Term or Phrase being used (Parenthesis): Used to show the possible origin of the term Meaning: Possible interpretation of the term PLEASE USE EXTREME CARE AND CAUTION IN THE DISPLAY AND USE OF THIS BOOK. DO NOT LEAVE IT WHERE IT CAN BE LOCATED, ACCESSED OR UTILIZED BY ANY UNAUTHORIZED PERSON. Revised: 25 August 2004 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS A: Pages 3-9 O: Pages 100-104 B: Pages 10-22 P: Pages 104-114 C: Pages 22-40 Q: Pages 114-115 D: Pages 40-46 R: Pages 115-122 E: Pages 46-51 S: Pages 122-136 F: Pages 51-58 T: Pages 136-146 G: Pages 58-64 U: Pages 146-148 H: Pages 64-70 V: Pages 148-150 I: Pages 70-73 W: Pages 150-155 J: Pages 73-76 X: Page 155 K: Pages 76-80 Y: Pages 155-156 L: Pages 80-87 Z: Page 157 M: Pages 87-96 #s: Pages 157-168 N: Pages 96-100 COMMENTS: When this “Dictionary” was first started, it was done primarily as an aid for the Security Threat Group Officers in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
    [Show full text]
  • 2011 Arizona Gang Threat Assessment
    Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Statistical Analysis Center Publication Our mission is to sustain and enhance the coordination, cohesiveness, productivity and effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System in Arizona 2011 Arizona Gang Threat Assessment September 2012 ARIZONA CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION Chairperson DANIEL G. SHARP, Chief Oro Valley Police Department Vice-Chairperson BILL MONTGOMERY Maricopa County Attorney JOSEPH ARPAIO DAVID K. BYERS, Director TIMOTHY J. DORN, Chief Maricopa County Sheriff Administrative Office of the Courts Gilbert Police Department CLARENCE DUPNIK CHRIS GIBBS, Mayor ROBERT C. HALLIDAY, Director Pima County Sheriff City of Safford Department of Public Safety JESSE HERNANDEZ, Chairperson TOM HORNE KENNETH KIMMEL, Chief Board of Executive Clemency Attorney General Sierra Vista Police Department BARBARA LAWALL RALPH OGDEN SHEILA POLK Pima County Attorney Yuma County Sheriff Yavapai County Attorney CHARLES RYAN, Director DAVID SANDERS LINDA SCOTT Department of Corrections Pima County Chief Probation Former Judge Officer MARK SPENCER CARL TAYLOR Law Enforcement Leader Coconino County Supervisor JOHN A. BLACKBURN, JR. Executive Director STEVE IRVINE PHILLIP STEVENSON CYNTHIA QUEZADA Research Analyst Director, Statistical Analysis Center Research Intern Table of Contents Executive Summary……………………………………..………………………………………….…..………....………1 Findings……………………..……………………………………………………………….………………..…1 Introduction……………………………..………………………………………………………………….…..…….……….2 Research Methods………………………………………..………………………………………….……………….……..2
    [Show full text]
  • Washington State Gang Intelligence Bulletin 2010
    UNCLASSIFIED / / LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE WASHINGTON STATE GANG INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN 2010 Dave Rodriguez, Director 400 2nd Avenue West Seattle, Washington 98119 UNCLASSIFIED / / LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED / / LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE 2 Cover Photo: Members of Lil Valley Lokos (LVL) Street Gang, Sunnyside, Washington Source: Internet Executive Summary Outlaw Motorcycle (OMG) and Street Gangs have been active for several years in Washington State. Both Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG) and Street Gangs have now become entrenched in the region. Street Gangs are involved in a variety of crimes to include drug trafficking, fraud, and prostitution, and have formed alliances with other gangs. They often serve as distribution networks for Mexican National Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs). Gang membership and affiliation continue to rise in Washington State. Many gangs have infiltrated Indian Country and cooperated with DTOs, which has enabled them to recruit additional members. Both street gangs and OMGs pose a serious threat to the safety of law enforcement personnel and to the safety of local communities. Background Outlaw Bikers have been active in Washington State since the 1950’s. Aryan Brotherhood members were housed in McNeil Island in the 1970’s when it was then a U.S Bureau of Prisons (BOP) penitentiary. Nuestra Familia and Nortenos were present in Yakima since the late 1970s. The Mexican Mafia aka La EME (La eMe) and Surenos were active in the Yakima Valley since the 1980s. Also Florencia13 and 18th Street have been active in the Seattle area since the early 1980s. Crips, Bloods, Surenos and Nortenos emigrated from California in the early 1980s. By the mid-1980s, the Gangster Disciple Nation emigrated from Chicago, Illinois and established a foothold in the Seattle-Tacoma area.1 Other Hispanic gangs, such as the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) did not appear in Seattle until the late 1990s.
    [Show full text]