And the late 's and early 's saw the growth of West Coast gangs like the Crips and the Bloods, although most experts dispute the notion that the gangs actually migrated across the country. Instead they are local, non-centralized gangs that go by the same names and wear the same identifying colors.
They are groups that span ethnicity, race, and neighborhoods. First, the influx of illegal drugs--first heroin, then cocaine, and then crack cocaine--changed street gangs from social groups to economic enterprises. Instead of fighting over the geography of turf, gangs began to wage war over corners used to sell drugs.
The institution of the Rockefeller drug laws in and stiffer prison penalties for adults, had a bitterly ironic result: Drug dealers began to recruit minors to do much of their selling on the streets.
While gangs have become a significant part of the drug trade a recent study that gangs are involved in about a quarter of the drug arrests , most researchers argue that youth gangs are not major drug traffickers. The second and perhaps the most devastating change is the availability of guns. It is estimated that gang related homicides increased nearly five times between and The nature of the violent act has changed from the fist, stick, and knife to the gun.
To visit the offices of the Gang Unit at Riker's Island is to visit a virtual museum of gang paraphernalia. The walls are covered with photographs of gang member tattoos , red and blue bandanas from the Crips and the Bloods, and rosaries with black and yellow beads used by members of the Latin Kings.
There is a display of home-made weaponry: knives made from pocket combs, razor blades fashioned from bottle caps, and even a small gun made from a toilet paper roll and rubber bands. And on the desk are computers used to enter the information into the city's gang database.
It is all part of the Corrections Department's "zero tolerance" policy on gangs and the city's attempt to enhance its gang intelligence. At Riker's Island, gang members are stripped of any kind of identifying clothing or trinkets, forced to live in the same rooms with rival gangs, and any act of violence automatically adds time to their sentence.
The Correction's Department says it is working. The incidence of violence in the city's jail is at the lowest in over a decade. If any student exhibits gang behavior-wearing colors, using hand signals, graffiti, or any criminal activity-they are immediately removed from school. Efforts to pass legislation to control gangs are generally more difficult. Most of the state legislation has to do with graffiti and tougher sentences for assault. Last year in the city, Councilmembers John Sabini and Michel Abel introduced a bill that would give police the power to arrest suspected gang members loitering on street corners.
The legislation drew criticism from civil rights groups and others who thought the law would lead to police abuse. Currently the proposed legislation is still sitting in committee. While legislators and police often take the credit for drops in gang related crime, the ebb and flow of gangs are more susceptible to other less tangible factors. There are several theories of why New York City has less of a problem with gangs than cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.
One is that today's gangs operate in an automobile culture that facilitates drive-by-shootings and drug dealing, and enables gangs to travel in greater anonymity. New York's mass transit system makes it more difficult for such activities. Moreover, NDTS and law enforcement data indicate that at least , members of street and prison gangs currently reside within communities across the country and at least another , documented members are incarcerated in state correctional facilities 4 see Appendix A, Scope and Methodology.
Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Prisons BOP tracks Security Threat Groups, defined as groups, gangs, or inmate organizations that have been observed acting in concert to promote violence, escape, and drug or terrorist activity.
To Top To Contents. Many suburban areas face gang-related problems similar to those occurring in urban areas. The monetary allure of gang membership is difficult to counteract. Gang members share profits from drug trafficking and other illegal activities. To a teen, money translates into social status. Many people are without jobs or a source of income. Becoming a gang member can provide a teen with an opportunity to make large amounts money quickly, because many gangs are involved in the illegal sale of drugs and firearms.
Lack of educational opportunities. Many kids feel that time spent in school is wasted. Joining a gang becomes an alternative to studying or attending school. Use of intimidation and violence. To coerce others to join their gang, members may recruit through scare tactics.
People are then forced into membership to protect themselves or their families from the local gang or the local gang's rivals. Need for survival. Gang membership could also be viewed as a safe haven to a child living in a gang-infested community.
Call from your mobile device! Skip To Content. The Male Gang Member Who: gang members may be of any ethnic group. How: initiation into gang: most youths who want to be gang members must first endure a test or a ritual of initiation. Jumpin'in is a common form of initiation that consists of a series of beatings over a set period of time by a certain number of members to see if the initiates are tough enough to join the gang.
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