Understanding Gangs Gang Violence in America
UNDERSTANDING GANGS and GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
Gabe Morales Bassim Hamadeh, CEO and Publisher Mary Jane Peluso, Senior Specialist Acquisitions Editor Alisa Munoz, Project Editor Celeste Paed, Associate Production Editor Jess Estrella, Senior Graphic Designer Greg Isales, Licensing Associate Natalie Piccotti, Director of Marketing Kassie Graves, Vice President of Editorial Jamie Giganti, Director of Academic Publishing
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Printed in the United States of America. Praise for Understanding Gangs and Gang Violence in America
Very informative book and on point. Gabe obviously worked extensively with at-risk youth. Awareness is the key. Awareness from the adults involved in the youth’s life and from the young people also so they can be aware of what they need to do to prevent gang involvement.
—Evelyn Cuevas, Pathways to Graduation, New York City Schools
This is an awesome book; I would highly recommend this to any new gang cop. This book breaks it down for the new gang investigator to [have] an open mind and be mindful of the facilitators as well as the actual gang members with easy-to-read charts and pictures.
—Tim King, Retired Detention Deputy, Kern County, CA
Love the book especially the flow of it. It is a very comprehensive book.
—Jim Quick, President, Tennessee Gang Investigators Association
Understanding Gangs and Gang Violence in America is a lofty endeavor to capture the history and activities of the evolving street/prison gang culture in this nation. It is comprehensive of each subject area and is a meaningful undertaking. As an academic piece it a perfect primer for the uninitiated and a good reference for the professional. I found it well written and researched, even if some assertions may be challenged. Overall the reader/ student should walk away with another tool in their tool kit or additional knowledge to their knowledge base. This book also demonstrates the futility of arresting ourselves out of the gang problem.
Eduardo Cordero, Supervisor, Los Angeles County Probation Department-CLEAR
v vi UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
Gabriel Morales has a passion for working with communities dealing with gang violence. He is more than willing to share his vast expe- rience in all aspects of the Justice System through speaking engagements, articles, and books. He is a nationally recognized expert that can help you with some solutions to gang violence problems.
Natalie Di-Pace Salazar, Program Director at LA Regional Crime Stoppers, Inc. Dedicated to all the great gang cops, social workers, and organizations that work day in and day out to keep our streets safe from gang violence.
vii Brief Contents
FOREWORD XIX
PREFACE XXI
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XXIII
CHAPTER 1. An Introduction to Gangs 1
CHAPTER 2. Gang Violence 16
CHAPTER 3. Early Street Gangs in America 31
CHAPTER 4. Jacket Gangs, Motorcycle Gangs, and Other Gangs 54
CHAPTER 5. Black Gangs 78
CHAPTER 6. Hispanic Gangs 101
CHAPTER 7. Asian and Pacific Islander Gangs 135
CHAPTER 8. White Gangs 157
CHAPTER 9. Female Gang Involvement 182
CHAPTER 10. Global Gangs Outside the United States 206
CHAPTER 11. Gang Prevention 240
CHAPTER 12. Gang Intervention 255
CHAPTER 13. Gang Crime andPolice Response 277
CHAPTER 14. Conclusion 299
ix x UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
APPENDIX: GRAFFITI AND TATTOOS 312
GLOSSARY OF GANG TERMINOLOGY 327
GLOSSARY OF COMMON PROFESSIONAL TERMINOLOGY 332
INDEX 336 Contents
FOREWORD XIX PREFACE XXI ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XXIII
CHAPTER 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO GANGS 1
Definition of a Gang 1
Gang Structure Theories 3 Choice Theory 5 Routine Activities Theory 5
Evidence-Based Research on Gangs 5
Gang Structure and Hierarchies 8 Common Gang Hierarchies 11
CHAPTER 2 GANG VIOLENCE 16
Facets and Causes of Gang Violence 16 Racist and Sexist Beliefs in Gangs 17
Rites of Passage Into a Gang 18 Youth Gang Issues Among Elder Members 21
Common Methods for Working With Gang Members 23
Entering and Exiting From a Gang 25
CHAPTER 3 EARLY STREET GANGS IN AMERICA 31
Definition of a Thug 31
First Documented Street Gangs 33
xi xii UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
Gang Violence Cycles 34
Ku Klux Klan 37
Irish Gangs 41
Jewish Gangs 44
Italian Gangs 45
Other Early Gangs 50
CHAPTER 4 JACKET GANGS, MOTORCYCLE GANGS, AND OTHER GANGS 54
Definition of a Jacket Gang 54
Definition of a Biker Gang 58
Native American Gangs 63
East African Gangs 64
Five Percenters (Nation of Gods and Earth) 64
Youth Subcultures 65 Fraternities and Sororities 66 Straight-Edge 67 Punks 67 Goths and Industrialites 69 Ravers 69 Metal Heads 70 Juggalos 71 Hip Hop 72 Lowriders 73
CHAPTER 5 BLACK GANGS 78
Early Black Gangs 78
Crips and Hoovers 79
Pirus and Bloods 82
Black Guerilla Family 86
KUMI 415 89
Dead Man Incorporated 90
Folk and People 91 CONTENTS xiii
Effects of Incarceration and Violence on the Black Community 97
CHAPTER 6 HISPANIC GANGS 101
Hispanic Gang Evolution 101
Chicago-Based Gangs 105 Latin Kings 105 Maniac Latin Disciples 106 Imperial Gangsters and Spanish Cobras 107 Latin Counts 107
Colorado-Based Gangs 108 Gangster Killin’ Incas 108
New Mexico-Based Gangs 109 Burque-505 109 Sindicato Nuevo Mexico 109 Los Carnales 110
Arizona Street Gangs 111
Nevada-Based Gangs 112 Nevada Trece 112
Texas-Based Gangs 112 Tango Blasters 112 Texas Syndicate 113 Mexikanemi 113 Los Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos 114 Barrio Azteca 115
California-Based Gangs 116 Mexican Mafia 116 Nuestra Familia 117 Sureños 118 18th Street 120 Mara Salvatrucha 124 Florencia 13 126 Norteños 127 Fresno Bulldogs 128
Effects of Gangs, Violence, and Incarceration on the Latino Community 129 xiv UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
CHAPTER 7 ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER GANGS 135
Triad and Tongs 135
Look-See Boys 136 The Wah Mee and Golden Dragon Massacres 137
Asian Street Gangs 138 Wah Ching 138 Jackson Street Boys/Black Dragons 139 Ping On Gang of Boston 139 Flying Dragons 140
Southeast Asian Gangs 140 Viet Boyz 140 Oriental Lazy Boyz 141 Tiny Raskal Gang 142 Oriental Troop 143 Asian Boyz 144 Menace of Destruction 145
Pacific Islander Gangs 145 Satanas 145 Pinoy Real 146 USO Family 146 La Familia 147 Samoan Pirus and Bloods 148 Samoan and Tongan Crips 148 Marshallese Gang Members 149
How Gang Crime Effects Asian and Pacific Islander Communities 150
CHAPTER 8 WHITE GANGS 157
Aryan Civilization and Modern Aryan Beliefs 157
Evolution of the Aryan Brotherhood 159 War Against the BGF and NF 160 Role of Women in the AB 161 Security Threat of the AB 161 AB Leadership 162 CONTENTS xv
War With DC Blacks 163
Other California-Based White Gangs 164 Nazi Low Riders 164 Public Enemy Number 1: PEN1-DeathSquad-PDS 164
Texas-Based White Gangs 165 Aryan Brotherhood of Texas 165 Aryan Circle 166
Other Western States’ White Gangs 167 Soldiers of the Aryan Culture 167 Aryan Warriors 168 Aryan Family 169 European Kindred 169 Aryan Knights 170 211 Crew 171
Other White Gangs in the United States 171 Dirty White Boys 171 East Coast Aryan Brotherhood 172 Simon City Royals 172 Skinheads 173 Peckerwoods 175 Aryan Nations Organization-Idahoand Aryan Nation Prison Gang-Tennessee 175
Issues Caucasian Inmates May Face in Jail or Prison 176
CHAPTER 9 FEMALE GANG INVOLVEMENT 182
Evolution of Female Gangs and Roles 182
Why Do Females Join Gangs Today? 185
Studies on Female Gangs 186
More Recent Cases of GangInvolvement 189
How Male Gangsters View Females 193
Female Gang Violence 194
Sex Trafficking 196
Drug Use and Sales by Female Gang Members 198
Female Programming 199 xvi UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
CHAPTER 10 GLOBAL GANGS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES 206
North America 206 Canada 207 Mexico 210
Central America and Caribbean 213 Puerto Rico 215
South America 216 Columbia 216 Brazil 217
Africa 218 Numbers Gang 219
Middle East 219
Asia 221 India 221 China 221 Japan 223 Korea 224 The Philippines 225
New Zealand and Australia 225
Europe 226 England 227 Ireland 229 Scandinavia 230 Spain 230 France 230 Italy 231 Germany 231
Russia and Former Soviet Union 232
CHAPTER 11 GANG PREVENTION 240
Gang Prevention Program in New York 242
Other Gang Prevention Programs 244
Presenting Alternatives to the Gang Lifestyle 245
Busting Gang Myths 248 CONTENTS xvii
Schools and Bullying 249
School-to-Prison Pipeline 250
Boot Camps 251
CHAPTER 12 GANG INTERVENTION 255
Project 253 and Community-Based Youth Gang Violence
Prevention 256
Gang Intervention Strategies and Evaluations 259
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 261
Working With Gang-Affiliated Youth: Glasser’s Reality Theory 262
Mistrust of Adults and Authority Figures 262 Mock Gang Assessment 264
Using Gang Intervention Assessment Tools 266
Evidence-Based Data and Using Wrap-Around Approaches 266 Intervening With Family 268 School Intervention 268 Community Intervention 269 Work Intervention and Re-Entry 269 Faith-Based Intervention and Reality Therapy 271
CHAPTER 13 GANG CRIME ANDPOLICE RESPONSE 277
Gang-Related Crime 277
Gang Databases 278
Gang Injunctions 280
Common Gang Crimes 282 Assaults, Murder, and Gun Violence 282 Home-Invasion Robberies 283 Illegal Gambling Houses 284 Legal Casinos 284 Prostitution and Rape 284 Human Smuggling and Kidnapping 285 Auto Theft 286 Theft and Burglaries 286 xviii UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
Extortion 287 Counterfeiting and Identity Theft 287 Drug Operations 288 Gang Initiations 288
Investigating Gang Crime 289
Pros and Cons of Law Enforcement Suppression Techniques 290 Common Ways Law Enforcement Suppresses Gang Activity 292 Corrections Steps to Deter Violence 292 Investigations and Interviewing 293
CHAPTER 14 CONCLUSION 299
Quick Review of Research Data and Best Practices 299
Infighting Among Should-Be Allies 300
The War Against Officers 301
Police Corruption and Excessive Force 302
The Drug War 304
Corrections Institutional Efforts 306
Future Action 308 Appendix: Graffiti and Tattoos 312
Glossary of Gang Terminology 327
Glossary of Common Professional Terminology 332
Index 336 Foreword
wholeheartedly recommend the work of Gabe Morales. As an instructor at Los Angeles Mission College, California, I I struggled to find a book to cover the history of street and prison gangs for my “Understanding Street and Prison Gangs” course. I was unable to find a book that reached the right balance of past, current, and future concerns regarding gang life in the United States. Mr. Morales’s book hits the mark and also provides a first-hand account of working in the correctional setting. Understanding Gangs and Gang Violence in America is written in a way that will motivate any student or law enforcement professional to want to learn more about the history and progression of street gangs in the United States. The book covers gang recruitment, gang behaviors, and gang globalization issues, which are all very relevant today. I also appreciate the in-depth discussion regarding hate groups and prevention and intervention programs, not just academically, but as a practitioner. Mr. Morales worked the front lines and is the voice of anyone who has ever worked in this field. He brings his extensive personal back- ground and professional expertise into the book. He also provides a variety of great commentary from other experts knowledgeable about the field. His book provides an accurate understanding of the culture of street and prison gangs, allowing even the least-knowing person to learn and understand the motivations of those currently working in, or considering joining, the fields of corrections and police work. The wonderful writings of Mr. Morales in this book, with all the detailed information he provides, illustrates for readers what the world of gangs is like and how destructive that world can be. Thank you, Gabe, for being the active voice and accurate reference for so many of us who worked with gangs over the years! Gabriel Kovnator, Instructor, Administration of Justice, Los Angeles Mission College, and former California Youth Authority, Gang Coordinator/Retired Parole Division
xix Preface
hen this book was being written several considerations W were taken into account: 1. Many instructors teach criminology but never worked as gang officers before.
2. Many officers have worked gangs but have little post-academy training on them.
3. Students taking gang courses bring with them their own personal experiences. Some of them were, or maybe still are, gang members or associates. Other students have had little to no contact with gang life other than movies, TV, or other media. I have family who were gang involved; I grew up around them and worked with gangs daily for over 40 years, so I took my experiences, as well as communicating with many experts in the field, to write this book. It was originally intended to serve as a criminal justice course but it can better educate people from all walks of life. This text will examine what a gang is and how gang members are defined by various segments of society. It includes research and practitioner perspectives, as well as examines some case studies of gang members. We will also review common forms of gang communication and rules of the streets. This work examines gang literature currently available and my own validations that dispel myths of “urban legends.” This book covers a lot of the history of major gangs in America and interviewing/investigations after a poll of 50 gang unit officers listed these as the top three things to know. It will improve understanding of teen brain functions and environment conditions and will discuss risk factors that a poll of 50 juvenile and social workers listed as major things to know. We’ll examine national and local responses to gangs and talk about what has worked and what hasn’t worked well. We will
xxi xxii UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
consider gang laws on the books in different states, evaluate them and the reactions to prevention, intervention, and suppression efforts. We will conclude by looking at gangs on an international scale and discuss the future of gang-related issues and how students and readers can apply the materials at a local community level. Items in bold are included in a “Glossary of Professional Terms” at the end of the book. Also, at the end of each chapter there will be a series of college study questions and exercises for students and instruc- tors to gauge learning outcomes. These questions are not exclusive, and the instructor may decide to use additional questions and exercises and essays, modify, or omit them as they desire. Acknowledgments
he author would like to give thanks and appreciation to the following people: T Scott Abbott, Felix Aguirre, Tami Jo Aiken, Efren Almodovar, Antonia Alvarado-Jackson, Robert Almonte, David Anderson, Paul Annetts, Nelson Arriaga, Tony Avendorph, Craig Ayers, Tim Ayers, Bernal Baca, Adam Balcom, Guy Baker, Jason Barnet, Kevin Bayne, Kimberly Bell, Robert Belshay, Barry Belt, Ron “Cook” Barrett, John Birch, Rick Bishop, Theresa Blahato, Chris Blatchford, Robert Borg, Juan Borrego, Denise Bouldin, Glenn Bozorth, Chris Brandon, Carlos Bratcher, Justin Brown, “Buck” Buchanan, Sam Buentello, Lance Burton, Wayne Caffey, Debi Cain, Pablo Cajigal, Jesse Campos, Monte Canfield, David Cardoza, Oscar Carrasco, Marylou Carrillo, Tony Casas, Hector Castro, Richard Cavagnolo, Bob Cepeda, Enrique Cerna, David Chan, Morgan Chappelle, George Chavez, Francisco Cisneros, Phillip “Chuck” Coats, Chuck Cogburn, Steve Cook, Jim Connors, Eduardo Cordero, Robert Cordova, Dave Cortez, Dionosio Cortez, Mike Coyle, Bryan Cuthberson, Ernest Cuthbertson, Charlie Davis, Doug Daviscourt, “Ringo” DeLeon, Steven DeMars, Maryanne Denner, Todd DePalma, Adrian Diaz, Frank Diaz, Jose Diaz, Ricardo Diaz, “Dizzy”, Franco Domma, Kevin Dresker, Todd Drew, Bill Dunn, Steve Duncan, “Rocky” Dyer, Jim Dyment Sr., Jeff Ellison, Rene Enriquez, Miguel Escalante, Magdalena Escobar, Marc Espinoza, Andy Estes, Keith Evans, Andy Eways, Kevin Fairchild, John Feeney, Jeremy Fisk, Scott Fitchett, Patrick Fitzgerald, Marcos Flores, Zach Fortier, Dan Foster, Enrique Franco, Marcus Frank, Dan Foley, Russell Fonoimoana, Robert Fountain, Joe Gagliardi, Frank Galaski, Mike Galindo, Fran- cisco Gallardo, Juan Garcia, Emil Garza, Joe Garza, Nicole Gates, Eric Gelhause, James Gibson, Jeff Gibson, Mark Gibson, Shawna Gibson, F. Hunter Glass, Bonnie Glenn, Ed Godfrey, Cory Godwin, Senobio Gomez, Joe Gonzalez, Juan Gonzalez, Chris Grant, Ben Griego, William Grove, Louis Guiden, Steve Haley, Rick Handel, Bill Hankins, Harry Hanson, Rod Hardin, Dennis Harrison, Chuck Hastings, Kim Hatha- way, Sheila Hatch, Devan Hawkes, Johnny Hawkins, Dave Harris, Don Harris, Joe Harris, Jennifer Helm, Kelly Henderson, Carter Hickman,
xxiii xxiv UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
Alberto Hidalgo, Lindsey Houghton, Tom Howard, Tim Huberty, Lamar Hudson, Ben Hughey, Eduardo E. Hurtado, Rondo Jackson, Brandon James, Lawrence Jaramillo, Al Jensen, Marc Johnson, Cha- remi Jones, Elizabeth Jones, Michelle Jordan, Melissa Juarez-Manning, Roslyn Kagy, Tony Kail, James Kang, Orin Kato, James Keeble, Leon Kelly, Tim King, Daniel Kogita, Gabriel Kovnator, Korey Kooper, Mike Kortjohn, “TK” Krause, Jeanette Kyle, Jim Lane, Mandy Larson, Darryl Lee, “TJ” Leyden, Danny Leyva, Timothy Liston, Mariko Lockhart, Christopher Long, Lucy Lopez, Val Lopez, Vince Lopez, Chay Loy, Paul Lozada, Kenneth Lucas, Steve Lucero, Aaron Lucoff, Steve Mallory, Tagaloa Manu, Robert Marquez, Frank Marcell, Mike Martinez, Pablo Martinez, Yolanda Marzest, Robert Mateo, Ramon Mendoza, Dave Miranda, Mario Molina, Joe Moody, Tim McAllister, Wes McBride, Jason McCollum, Keiron McConnell, Glenda McDaniel, Larry Mead, Mike Merrill, Guy Miner, Dave Miranda, Mario Molina, Monica Mon- tanez, Jeri Moomaw, Tony Moreno, Andre Maguire-Morales, Joseph Morales, Marcial Morales, Roy Morales, Adrian Moroles, Robert Mor- rill, Gabriel Morris, Enrique Muniz, Delfino Muñoz, Anthony Murphy, Larry Myers, John Myrick, Art Nakamura, Von Narcisse, Jack Naswor- thy, Patrick Natividad, Brian Novotny, Robert Nylen, Michele Ochoa, Jim Ortiz, Susie Ortiz, Mike Oster, Tony Ostos, Brian Parry, Eric Patao, Jeff Paynter, Christina Pelayo, Joshua Pennell, Joshua Pieren, Mark Pitcavage, Al Plum, Kerry Pople, Terry Powell, Joseph Preciado, Mike Prill, Ben Ramos, Celso Rangel, Dave Reardon, Tim Reed, Darin Reedy, Chris Register, Melissa Rendon, Todd Reiswig, David Reyes, Irene Reyes, Raul Reyes, Saul Reyna, Julia Reynolds, Brad Richmond, Shirley Rickman, John Ringer, Yvonne Rios, Ruben Rivera, Mike Roberge, Jerry Rochi, Antonio Rodriguez, Clem Rodriguez, Dave Rodriguez, Jesus Rodriguez, Jorge Ruiz, Luis J. Rodriguez, Jesse Rollolazo, Luis Rosa, Jesse Ruelas, Steve Ruiz, Jeffrey P. Rush, Randall Russness, Roger Russness, Joe Ryan, Claudio Saa, Robert Saavetasi, Ruben Salamanca, Jesse Salazar, Joe Salazar, Johnny Salazar, Mark Salazar, Natalie Salazar, Armando Saldate, Joe Salinas, Edwin Santana, Johnny Santana, Miko Santiago, Dwayne Santistevan, Ken Sanz, Kat Sattarov, Lou Savelli, Mike Schemnitzer, Adam Schniper, Chuck Schoville, Ryan Seely, Bob Sessions, Elgin Shaw, Eric Shen, Mike Siebert, Marco Silva, Carter F. Smith, Dan Smith, Larry Smith, Joe Snyder, Joe Sparks, Dennis Spice, Ron Stallworth, Eric Steffes, Jeff Stoleson, Doug Strand, Ramon Suarez, Dennis Sullivan, Ralph Sprague, Karissa Taylor, Kris Tenpas, “Smokey” Thomas, Aaron Thompson, Dale Thrush, Edwin Torres, Acknowledgments xxv
Dora Treviño, Tom Trindad, Kerry Tripp, Tim Turmezei, Justin Tuttle, Bill Valentine, Mero Valenzuela, Angel Vasquez, Danny Vasquez, Vince Vaielua, Richard Valdemar, Johnny Vasquez, Larry Visitacion, Nga Vuong-Sandoval, Maurice Ward, Don Waters, Adrian Weaver, Shawn Williams, Sherman Wilkins, Jason Wilke, Gary Williams, Earl “Austin” Wozniak, Arthur Wynn, Christopher Young, Ed Yee, Paul Zamarripa, and Chris Zimmer. CHAPTER 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO GANGS
CHAPTER OUTLINE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
■ Definition of a Gang After completing this chapter, the reader will ■ Gang Structure Theories be able to do the following:
■ Evidence-Based Research 1. Define what a gang is on Gangs 2. Know major structure theories ■ Gang Structure and Hierarchies 3. Explain evidence-based research as it relates to gangs 4. Identify common gang structures and hierarchies
DEFINITION OF A GANG
ey definitions in this chapter are indicated in bold and are included in a “Glossary of Professional Terms” located K in the appendix. When discussing the subject of gangs, it is best to start out with the basics. The definition of a gang is defined as “A) A groups of persons working to unlawful or antisocial ends; especially: a band of antisocial adolescents” “B) A group of persons working together.” Part B could fit a lot of groups like the Girl Scouts or a boy’s base- ball team but, generally speaking, in the criminal justice arena we are talking about a group that fits Part A; however, as will be explained in this chapter, it is not only adolescents. Legal definitions vary from state to state, but often include
[a]ny ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having a common name or common identify- ing signs or symbols, having as one of its primary activities the commission of criminal acts, and whose members or associates individually or
1 2 UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal street gang activity. (Washington State AG Office, 2008; CA Penal Code, Section 186.22)
So, by legal definition, a group of people cannot be a gang unless they commit crimes together for furtherance of the gang entity. With this being said, it is rare, except for the occasion of a very small gang, for all members to be committing a crime at the same time. What is more common is for a member or members to commit crimes on a frequent basis while boasting the group’s name, sign, and symbols (CGIA, 2017, Gang Definition, www.cgiaonline.org). One gang member stated he viewed his gang as, “Just a bunch of Homies who get together, to kick it, have fun, to meet what they feel are their needs!” Just like all human beings they needed physical things like food, shelter, and clothing, but there are also emotional needs of empowerment, freedom, excitement, and a sense of family, a strong need to bond and belong (G. Morales, personal communication, 5/1/90). Many police departments have a system to validate the existence of specific gangs. Again, different jurisdictions in the United States have different definitions even if they are often similar. At this time, there is no widely used national gang database although efforts have been made through such vehicles as a federal Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) and GangNet devised by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Racial profiling by police is a huge political issue in many communities of color as many individuals feel they are unfairly targeted by all police. In some communities this is a legitimate concern, as court cases have shown. In other communities law enforcement points out the reason so many people of color are arrested is because they are the majority living there. I personally have been pulled over for “driving while Brown” so I know how that feels. I also have been treated fairly by most officers even before I became professionally involved in the criminal justice system. Most law enforcement officers I know would never want to label any group of individuals as a gang merely for the common types of clothing or colors they wear or the neighborhood they reside in; however, such commonalities may just so happen to be part of what some gangs will use as a way to maintain or represent their gang. When classifying anybody as a gang member, certain predetermined criteria need to be met and validated. This avoids any non-gang member from being unfairly labeled and entered into a gang database by a gang analyst or gang investigator or classification specialist. All these gangs Chapter 1 An Introduction to Gangs 3
or disruptive groups have some sort of organization with some being more structured and cohesive than others (King County Jail, 2006). Today, as recommended by the National Major Gang Task Force (NMGTF) made up of all 50 states’ designated gang expert in every prison system in America, most correctional systems in the United States include common street gangs, racist gangs, prison gangs, dis- ruptive groups, street gangs, and even terrorist organizations under the classification as beingsecurity threat groups (STG). Many major jails have also adopted the term STG to identify inmates who belong to disruptive groups (Decker, 2001). In jails and prisons, inmates who are suspected or who associate with a STG are also often tracked until they can be either validated via a point system or purged from a STG data base.
GANG STRUCTURE THEORIES
So, why do some places in America have a high level of gang activity while others have little to none reported? There are two main theories: structural control and structural adaption. According to gang experts like Thrasher (1927/1957), structural control theory considers conditions that help foster gangs. It mostly disregards a culture of common outlooks, values, and traditions. It considers poverty, unemployment, school drop-out rate, single parent households, and so on to greatly influence membership and mainly contribute to juvenile delinquency. This theory states that gangs often form and stay from conflict with other gangs. Under this theory, gangs form to fill a vacuum caused by social disorganization in neighborhoods. Structural adaption theory, made popular by Shaw and McKay (1943), also makes the case that gang members are the product of their environment. This research notes that there is a lot of residential turnover in certain neighborhoods, yet gang membership remained high. In other words, youth often joined a gang when they moved into a neighborhood to survive; they adapted. But when they moved out they usually ceased gang involvement. While both of these decades-old theories still have some relevance today, urban renewal, increasing migration across the United States 4 UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
across all races and socioeconomic status, and increasing popularity of the Internet and other media, have changed the face of some gangs. Parents have often moved their children away from gang-infested areas, yet their kids took the gang lifestyle with them and exported gangs. Urban renewal often increased housing costs and youth from gang active areas may transport the lifestyle because of this gentrification. Many schools in middle-class areas are not equipped to deal with gang violence issues. There are also usually few prevention and inter- vention programs in place compared to urban areas that have been dealing with gang problems for decades. These trends will likely only increase in the future. As far as theories explaining why some people join gangs in some neighborhoods while the majority do not, there is the criminal pro- pensity theory that states that some people are just “bad seeds.” These individuals may join gangs and act out in a violent fashion due to poor or abnormal brain development. These individuals often do not have a lot of impulse control. They often have a hard time engaging in anger management for a long period since they have a “short fuse.” These individuals often gravitate toward others who also feel that violence is an okay behavior to meet their needs (Glueck & Glueck, 1950). There is also the social bond theory that claims that some people are more prone to peer pressure. These individuals will bond with anybody who pays attention to them, even if it is in a negative situ- ation. They remain loyal to a group and do not want to disappoint their friends who they are willing to do anything for. Attachment to a gang comes very easy for them as it reinforces their need to belong (Hisrschi, 1969). The general strain theory notes that when some people experience stress they block out positive vibes. They may be depressed or angry and a gang provides an outlet for their feelings. The gang becomes their new family as it basically provides them a mechanism to cope with their emotions, unleashing rage verbally or physically on others. They want victims to experience the pain that they are experiencing (Agnew, 1992). The gang membership trait theory argues there are explicit traits associated with gang membership. This theory states that there are very specific differences in the personalities of gang and non-gang members. In addition to structural disadvantages, there is a general sense of mis- trust and defiance of authority figures, tendency on self-reliance due to past disappointments, increasing isolation from the outside world, and dependency on the gang to survive (Yablonsky, 1962). Chapter 1 An Introduction to Gangs 5
Integrated gang membership theory has been proposed by researchers who rely on multiple interaction reasons for gang mem- bership. It considers structural disadvantages in addition to being antisocial, having weak social bonds, a tendency for engaging in risky behaviors, and traumatic events that led to joining a gang. Early on, individuals described in this theory engaged in negative behavior and progressively gravitated toward the gang to solve their problems (Thornberry, 1987).
Choice Theory
Dr. William Glasser (1998) relied on a lot of the integrated theory concepts. Using his theory, the gang met a member’s need for power, freedom, fun, and belonging. It helped them survive the world in which they lived.
Routine Activities Theory
There’s much peer-reviewed empirical research in support of this theory. In short, routine activities theory (RAT) suggests misinterpret- ing youth as just “hanging-out” functions as a risk factor for juvenile delinquency and gang membership. RAT states as part of its theory that youth engaged in unsupervised activities between 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. are at high risk for delinquent behaviors such as gang membership while those youth supervised by caring and nurturing adults are far less likely to engage in harmful behaviors and become involved in the criminal justice system (Felseen & Eckert, 2015).
EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH ON GANGS
Academic books on gangs always include lots of evidence-based research and studies by college professors, and I’ve cited some of them in this work. These studies can give students a better education and understanding of why problems exist and may give some viable solu- tions for practitioners. But the study of humans is not a perfect science, 6 UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
so one should keep in mind different studies and research and expert opinions by practitioners are often in conflict. For instance, in the book Confronting Gangs: Crime and Community in a section covering emerging social issues on the Internet, Curry, Decker, and Pyrooz (pp. 143–146, 2013), contend they “are skeptical of such reports that portray gangs as having an extraordinary compe- tence on-line” insinuating that few crimes could likely be solved by investigating gangs who use the internet. However, gangs today get free advertisement to recruit new members even in middle-class areas by computer use. Indeed, contrary to Curry, Decker, and Pyrooz’s claims, many law enforcement agencies today say one of the fastest growing areas of gang investigation has been in the area of Internet resource training for police. According to retired Madison, Wisconsin, police detective and Internet expert George Chavez who started tracking gangs online in 2003, “Many gang cases have been opened in recent years and successfully prosecuted using technology and gang member’s own posts.” (Chavez, G., 2015). It is important to review the strengths and weaknesses of a law enforcement conceptualization of gangs when contrasted with a crim- inological and sociological conceptualization of gangs. According to some figures, there are approximately 750,000 gang members in America, while others like the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) put the numbers at 1.4 million. With accurate reporting still a big problem, total gang numbers could be much higher or lower. Other estimates are that were over one million street gang members in Amer- ica in 2015. Additionally, there are tens of thousands non-members who may be involved. Many times, these gang associates are misclassified and counted as members, making reliable numbers a big problem. Because of name recognition and major funding, the NGIC is relied on by many police and non-police organizations for information. In general, they do a pretty good job, but at times their reports have raised eyebrows in parts of the law enforcement community as well as outside of it. Sometimes NGIC analysts put their own biases and experiences into reports. NGIC reports also rely heavily on self-re- ported information from agencies that may or may not be accurate. Smaller agencies that reply to requests for info by NGIC are often included while some major agencies that do not reply are often left out. Having faced scrutiny by their own, including the author, at times for putting out inaccurate info, some NGIC reports have played it too safe by putting out highly sanitized and generic information (Curry, Decker, & Pyrooz, 2013). Chapter 1 An Introduction to Gangs 7
So again, there are many problems with validating data via vol- untary surveys. Individuals claiming membership in gang surveys or even offenders in non-gang specific surveys may not be totally honest. In fact, many jurisdictions of respondents in gang data surveys cite self-admission as being their biggest and number-one criteria (King County Jail, 1994; U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Pre- vention, 2009). The problem with this method is it leaves gang membership count- ing open to interpretation and is often the result of bragging and boasting on the part of the respondent. It can skew data either as the result of the respondent being delusional or due to lack of understand- ing by the data-entry person. At the King County Jail (2015) in Seattle, one untrained staff member entered an inmate as a “Power Ranger” when there was no such gang documented and the individual had no previous contact with any law enforcement claiming such membership, but he did have a mental history. Another example of questionable surveys would be information presented at a workshop sponsored by the American Corrections Asso- ciation (ACA) dealing with female criminal offenders. The facilitators of this class stated they conducted surveys of incarcerated females and claimed most of them in custody had a stable home address. An attendee asked how they validated the data. They replied that they rewarded them with candy bars for answering their questions. When it was asked, “What if they were lying?” The responded defensively, “Why would they lie?” The same attendee informed them of his experience with doing background checks on female inmates for many years, as well as working side by side daily with personal recognizance screeners who asked similar questions during inmate interviews. When fol- lowing up, inmate references responders would commonly say, “Yea, she gets her mail here, but I haven’t seen her in months before she got arrested.” They also often stated their daughter or niece, and so on was a drug addict and had been running the streets much of the time, in direct conflict with the workshop data (National Institute for Corrections, 2001). In the past, some researchers, such as Joan Moore (1991), claimed females made up about 33% of gangs nationwide and even as much as 38% during a Gang Resistance Education And Training (GREAT, 1999) survey of middle school youth in 11 cities. Finn-Aage Esbenson and colleagues found that the GREAT program had little effect, thus any research on it is suspect (Esbenson, F-A., et al., 2010). 8 UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
In the same token, it should also be noted that some police officers and agencies very likely underestimated the female gang problem such as when submitting data for a National Gang Center (2002) survey which put it at 6% nationwide out of over 3,000 agency responses. At the most, in some controlled survey environments female members made up no more than about 15% of total gang membership in Fresno County (2009), California, and Florida County (2010) jails. Many of these studies are now decades old, but many counted today are only associates, with only about 10% of females on nationwide average who are likely to be bona fide members. Assessment of 10% being a more accurate number nationwide is based on interactions with hundreds of female gang members, counts of daily average inmate pop- ulations, and daily counts of security threat groups including female gang members. This more closely corresponds with other researchers (Morales, 2016).
GANG STRUCTURE AND HIERARCHIES
People who have worked for years in criminal justice housing facilities or in gang neighborhoods usually understand gang dynamics better than those who have not. There is usually a very a short period of ado- lescent gang involvement. One big difference today is they are staying in longer and the gangs are often bigger. Also, with the increasing incarceration of youth, juvenile decline laws, and get-tough-on-crime policies like “three strikes you’re out” from the 1980s on, young men were often introduced to prison gangs at an earlier age. Prison gangs are mainly made up of street gang members; they often know each other via older relatives in the system. While prison gangs can be more violent than street gangs, they also have similarities. Some gangs are run as top-down organizations with a leader or “president” giving directives that are to be followed by subordinates. This is common for organized crime and some prison gangs such as the Black Guerrilla Family that is run by a supreme commander in the California Department of Corrections (CDC). But, more often than not, street gangs run in a horizontal fashion. In other words, whoever has the most power, most drugs, most guns, or is the most feared can be the leader at any given time. These gangs often run by group consensus Chapter 1 An Introduction to Gangs 9
rather than by the wishes and control of any single individual or “shot callers” that make up a “Commission” (Morales, 1998). So, now that we have briefly examined what a gang member is and the different levels of involvement that individuals may have, we should
FOCUS POINT: GANG STRUCTURES
FIGURE 1.1 Common Gang Structure
COMMON GANG STRUCTURE Leadership: Can be anybody but often is a senior member or somebody who is the most respected based on charisma or fear due to past violent acts committed.
Hard core: Those few who need and thrive on the totality of the gang activity. The gang’s level of violence is determined by the hard cores and their ability to orchestrate the gang as a vehicle to manifest their own violence. The hard core are generally the leaders or next in line. They are the most violent, streetwise, and often knowledgeable in legal 10 UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
matters since they have been in the criminal justice system for many years. They may participate in the violent act or encourage or threaten others to commit the violence. They are usually feared and respected by outsiders as well as most of the gang membership.
Associates: Those who associate with the gang for status and recogni- tion. This essentially fulfills the emotional need of belonging. Females often fill this role. The associate can easily cross the thin line separating them from the hard core at any given moment. They are often the eyes and ears of the gang to keep in good grace.
Cliques/sets: These are subgroups of the larger gang often based on age group but sometimes by territory.
Fringe/peripheral: Those who move in and out of the gang based on interest in the gang activity or activities. They could also cross gang lines as acquaintances.
Wanna-be/could-be: These are youth who have been exposed to gangs and who may be thinking of joining. They often feel they have a lot to prove, so they are also dangerous.
Note: At-risk youth gangs may spend months, even years sometimes, staying at one level. However, without direct intervention there is a very good chance they will move to the next level (Morales, 1994).
also look at different hierarchies of gangs. It should again be noted, that while many gangs in the past were run in a horizontal top-down fashion with clearly defined rank structures, many gangs in the United States today are run more vertically. This often makes it harder to define who is who and who is running what when combatting them using traditional law enforcement methods such as racketeering in corrupt organizations (RICO Act) that has been used to take down groups like the Cosa Nostra or Italian-American Mafia. It also often makes gang members within their own groups unclear on who to follow and what orders to follow. It is for this reason, among others, that many individuals today will claim a certain gang but will often have little daily interaction with all in their gang. Chapter 1 An Introduction to Gangs 11
Common Gang Hierarchies
FIGURE 1.2 Common Gang Hierarchies
Common levels of sophistication and gang violence does occur in major levels:
Organized crime: Groups like the La Cosa Nostra (Our Thing), also called the Sicilian/Italian American Mafia fit under this category. They are older in age, are the most sophisticated, and are often RICO targets by federal authorities.
Prison gangs: Groups like the Mexican Mafia which started within the CA prison system would fit under this category. They are generally small in size, but violent.
Street gangs: Groups like Crips and Bloods would fit in this category, gangs that started on the street that can be anywhere from three members to thousands of members.
Associates: Individuals who are not considered members but who are closely associated with the gang would fit in this category. They fill a support role. 12 UNDERSTANDING GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
Wanna-B/Could-B: These are young people who are fascinated with the gang lifestyle. They continue to learn about gangs until, often, they eventually join one unless direct intervention is made.
All teens: Today, all teens are at risk since the gang lifestyle is so prev- alent in America. Most, as statistics show, will never join a gang since they learn good coping, good social, and violence prevention skills (Morales, G., 1994).
Gangs today tend to run by different crews or cliques. If there is a war against a rival group or other friction all subgroups of the gang will usually back them up and come together, but each subgroup reg- ularly operates on its own under loose rules. If there is a violation, or commonly accepted breaking of universal rules like stealing from a fellow member, sleeping with another member’s wife, or snitching, then the various factions may discuss it and senior members may make fate determinations. Gangs often run in different “cars” in prison. Their elaborate tattoos are often shown off to express the gang they belong to. These are often referred to as “license plates.” A normal lay person may not be able to see the signs, but fellow members and rivals can tell the difference. Officers should be able to tell the difference too. Major gangs are broken down in this book by ethnic groups in chapters 4–7 and there is a separate chapter 8 on females. A main reason for this is very simple: It makes it a little easier to understand all gangs.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
It can be hard to clearly define a gang since there are no nationally accepted terms. There are many different theories on why gangs exist and there is plenty of evidence-based research on gangs, but they often conflict. There are gangs with high structures and ones with little structure or hierarchy controls. Chapter 1 An Introduction to Gangs 13
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What are some of the common characteristics that make up a gang?
2. What are some of the similarities of criminal gangs and social groups?
3. What does “security threat group” mean and why is it used?
4. How many gang members are there in America and how could the numbers be off?
5. What are structural control and structural adaption theories?
6. What are some common structure elements of a gang?
7. What are some common gang hierarchies?
8. Why are there differences in opinion on the number of gang involved females?
9. What is a shotcaller?
10. What do the terms “cars” and “license plates” refer to in custody?
SUGGESTED EXERCISES
■ Break up into groups, discuss all the theories on why people join gangs, then pick the one you feel is the number-one reason and explain why to the rest of the class.
■ Write a short essay on one of the theories discussed in this chapter. Take a position and create an argument for or against using text information and outside resources to support your conclusions.
REFERENCES
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California Gang Investigator’s Association (2017). Gang definition.Retrieved from www.cgiaonline.org CA Penal Code, Section 186.22, (2004), Gang definition. Retrieved from www.ca.gov Chavez, G. (2015, Sept. 10). Social media [class]. University Center, Chicago, IL. Curry, G.D., Decker, S.H., & Pyrooz, D.C. (2013). Confronting gangs: Crime and community. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Decker, S. (2001). Prison gangs. National Major Gang Task Force. Retrieved 2002 from www.nmgtf.org (now dead link). Felsen, M., & Eckert, M. (2015). Crime and everyday life. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Kissner, J., Pyrooz, D.C. (2009). Gang survey. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Merriam Webster (2018). Gang definition.Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory. New York, NY: Harper Perennial. Glueck, S., & Glueck, E. (1950). Unraveling juvenile delinquency. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Gang Resistance Education And Training (GREAT). Survey of middle school youth in eleven cities. Retrieved from www.great.org Esbensen, F-A, et al. Evaluation and Evolution of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program, Journal of School Violence, Vol. 10, pp. 53–70, 2011. Milton Park, UK: Taylor & Francis Publishing Group. Hisrschi, T. (1969). Causes of delinquency. Berkley, CA: University of California Press. King County Jail. (1994). STG validation criteria. Retrieved from Morales, G. Personal Files. King County Jail. (2015). Security threat group SOP memo. Retrieved from Morales, G. Personal Files. King County Jail. (2016). Security threat groups. Retrieved from Morales, G. Personal Files. Miller, W. (1975). Violence by youth gangs—female involvement. National Youth Gang Survey. Retrieved from National Gang Center, www.nationalgangcenter.gov Moore, J. (1991). Going down to the barrio. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. Morales, G. (1994). Gangs [class]. Criminal Justice Training Center, Burien, WA. Morales, G. (1998). Varrio warfare: Violence in the Latino community. pp. 51. Seattle, WA: Tecolote Publishing. Morales, G. (2016). Female gang member survey. King County Jail, Seattle, WA. National Gang Center. (2002). National Gang Center survey. Retrieved from www. nationalgangcenter.gov Chapter 1 An Introduction to Gangs 15
National Institute for Corrections. (2001, September 11). Dealing with females in cor- rections [class]. Morales, G. Boise, ID. Shaw, C., & McKay, H. (1943). Juvenile delinquency in urban areas. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. State of Florida (2010). Florida County jails statewide gang survey. Retrieved from www. fgia.org Thornberry, T. P. (1987). Toward an interactional form of delinquency. Criminology Journal, Vol. 25, pp. 863–91. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. Thrasher, F. (1927/1957). The gang: Gangs in Chicago. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2009, July). Gang prosecution manual. Retrieved from www.ojjdp.gov Washington State AG Office. (2008). Gangs. Retrieved from WA Gang Study Work Group, Morales, G. et al. Yablonsky, L. (1962). The violent gang. London, England: MacMillan Publishing.