Introduction to GANGS in AMERICA | Higgins Gangs Have Long Been a Social and Criminal Threat to Society

K13185_cover 10/13/11 6:47 PM Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K FORENSICS & CRIMINAL JUSTICE Holmes | Introduction to Tewskbury GANGS in AMERICA | Gangs have long been a social and criminal threat to society. Introduction to Gangs Higgins in America explains how gangs are addressed as a criminal justice and public policy problem, providing a student-friendly, easily accessible, concise overview of the role, place, structure, and activities of gangs in American society. The book describes what gangs are, what differentiates them from each other, how they share similarities, and how they fit into contemporary American culture. The authors explore the history and structure of gangs, reveal their clandestine to GANGS in AMERICA Introduction activities, and analyze their social impact. The book also includes information on gender issues in gangs, and provides insight into how gangs impact American educational institutions Offering an insider’s account, the book provides in-depth profiles of specific gangs, including: • Europe’s five major biker gangs • The Outlaws • The Hell’s Angels • The Bandidos • The Pagans • Bloods • Aryan Brotherhood • Black Guerrilla Family • Mexican Mafia • Texas Syndicate • Neta Discussion questions appear at the end of each chapter, stimulating debate and classroom discussion. It may never be possible to eradicate gangs from our culture. But by understanding their structure, their strengths and vulnerabilities, and how they operate, law enforcement can better protect the public from their nefarious activities. This text gives future law enforcement professionals rare insider insight into a subject typically shrouded in secrecy. K13185 6000 Broken Sound Parkway, NW Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487 711 Third Avenue an informa business New York, NY 10017 www.crcpress.com 2 Park Square, Milton Park Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK www.crcpress.com Composite Introduction to GANGS in AMERICA This page intentionally left blank Introduction to GANGS in AMERICA Ronald M. Holmes Richard Tewksbury George E. Higgins Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2012 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Version Date: 20110613 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4398-6947-5 (eBook - PDF) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmit- ted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright. com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com To my family. G. Higgins To my family, Billy Tom Holmes (2003–2010), I loved him as a son, and to my new granddaughter, Tessa Maria. R. M. Holmes This page intentionally left blank Table of Contents Preface xiii 1 Gangs 1 Introduction 1 The Structure of Gangs 1 Types of Gangs 3 Racial and Ethnic Gangs 3 Chicano/Hispanic Gangs 4 Asian Gangs 4 Vietnamese Gangs 5 Chinese Gangs 6 Filipino Gangs 7 African-American Gangs 7 Types of Gang Members 7 Gang Members: Perpetrators and Victims 8 Conclusion 9 Discussion Questions 9 2 Gangs and Homicide 11 Introduction 11 Defining and Counting Gang Homicides 11 Characteristics of Gang Homicides 14 Who Is Involved 14 Where Gang Homicides Occur 16 How Gang Homicides Are Committed 18 Drive-By Shootings 20 Homicide and Other Criminal Offenses 22 Gang Homicide and Community Crime Rates 22 Gang Homicide and Other Homicides/Assaults 23 Drug Trafficking 24 Conclusion 26 Discussion Questions 26 vii viii Table of Contents 3 Gangs and Police 27 Introduction 27 Police Response to Gangs 28 Police Gang Units 29 Gang Unit Officers 33 Community Partners Working with Police 34 Creating and Sustaining a Successful Strategy to Address Gang Problems 35 Conclusion 36 Discussion Questions 37 4 Gangs and Schools 39 Introduction 39 Extent of Gangs in Schools 40 Motivations to Joining a Gang 42 Gang Recruitment 45 Effects of Gang Membership and School Gang Affiliation 45 Gangs and School Violence 48 Conclusion 50 Discussion Questions 50 5 Motorcycle Gangs 51 Introduction 51 America’s Motorcycle Gangs: A Brief History 51 Biker Violence in Other Countries 54 Europe’s Five Major Biker Gangs 55 Motorcycle Gangs in the United States: The Big Four 56 The Outlaws 56 Patches and Colors of the Outlaws 57 The Relationships and Confederation of Outlaws 57 The Hell’s Angels 58 The Bandidos 59 The Pagans 59 Gang Structure 59 Conclusion 60 Discussion Questions 61 Suggested Readings 61 6 The Outlaws Motorcycle Gang 63 History of the Outlaws 64 Organization and Definition of Officers 65 Table of Contents ix Colors and Patches of Sets and Memberships 65 A Day in the Life of an Outlaw 65 Criminal Behaviors 69 Brotherhood and Collegiality 70 Conclusion 71 Discussion Questions 72 7 The Pagans Motorcycle Club 73 History of the Pagans Motorcycle Club 73 Membership 73 Criminal Activities 77 Patches and Colors 81 Chapters and Subsets 81 Conclusion 82 Discussion Questions 83 Suggested Readings 83 8 The Bandidos Motorcycle Club 85 Introduction 85 A Short History of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club 85 Criminal History of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club 86 Conclusion 89 Discussion Questions 90 9 The Hell’s Angels 91 Introduction 91 A Short History of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club 91 Membership Requirements 93 Patches and Colors of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club 95 Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club Charters 95 Crime, Criminals, and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club 96 Conclusion 98 Discussion Questions 99 Suggested Reading 99 10 Women in Gangs 101 Introduction 101 Research on Females in Gangs 102 The Number of Females in Gangs 102 Crimes and Delinquency of Females in Gangs 103 x Table of Contents Risk Factors Associated with Females Joining Gangs 105 Conclusion 108 Discussion Questions 108 11 Prison Gangs 109 Introduction 109 What Is a Prison Gang? 109 Profiles of Prison Gangs 112 Bloods 113 Aryan Brotherhood 114 Black Guerrilla Family 115 Mexican Mafia 116 Texas Syndicate 116 Neta 117 Islamic Gangs 117 Structure of Prison Gangs 118 Prison Gangs and Prison Culture 119 Prison Gang Leaders 120 Prison Gangs and Violence 120 How Prison Officials Work to Control Prison Gangs 122 Conclusion 125 Discussion Questions 125 12 Gang Policy 127 Community Policies 127 Spergel and Curry’s Developmental Community Interventions 127 Community Organization 128 Social Intervention 128 Opportunities Provision 128 Suppression 128 Effectiveness of These Policies 128 A Risk-Focused Approach 129 Individual Characteristics 129 Bonding 129 Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards 130 Examples of Community Policies and Programs to Reduce Gangs and Gang Life 130 Legal Policies 131 Policing 132 Table of Contents xi Prosecution 133 Legislature 134 Conclusion 135 Discussion Questions 136 References 137 Internet Resources 145 Index 147 This page intentionally left blank Preface The topics of street gangs, prison gangs, and motorcycle gangs have always intrigued us in our teachings of criminal justice topics in the classroom. We were thinking often that the research and topics were truly inadequate to explain various items of interest to our students. Based on these concerns and issues, we decided, as many academics do, to write our own book. Little did we know how much misinformation was readily accepted as truth within the academic community and, more importantly, the true information that was available from secondary sources, such as personal interviews, books written by former bikers writing from their own experiences as “fully patched” members of a “1% motorcycle gang,” a street gang of young men and women bent on a life of crime, and those in prison who had been members of outlaw groups on the streets, towns, villages of the United States as well as foreign countries. We decided to divide the books into three sections: street gangs, prison gangs, and motorcycle clubs, especially the 1%ers. George Higgins decided that he would prefer to deal with the streets gangs. Richard Tewksbury has a special interest in prisons and prison gangs, and Ronald Holmes has a special interest in motorcycle gangs, which will become apparent when the reader arrives at that section of the book. In writing any section of a book of this type, it is apparent that there are many people who deserve special praise and attention.

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