Gang Awareness & Intervention
Protecting our youth and students from the ever-increasing menace of gangs and violence is
top priority for, law enforcement and school officials.
Many criminologists and media portrayed gangs as "deviant"
groups whose activities were considered violations of folkways, rather than clear violations of laws. Today the word gang brings forth images of law-breaking groups. More often than not the word gang strikes fear and/or anger in individuals and groups because gangs are believed to be involved in violent crime, most of which is drug related. In other words, gangs have become to be viewed as groups of individuals involved in illicit or illegal drug-dealing accompanied by violence.
A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. Most commonly, the word "gang" refers to street gangs (a.k.a. youth gangs), groups who take over territory ("turf") in a particular city, sometimes simply for lack of something better to do, and are often involved in "providing protection" (in fact, a thin cover for extortion), or in other criminal activity. Since roughly the 1970s, street gangs have been strongly connected with drug sales (especially crack cocaine).
Once an urban problem, street gangs have now infiltrated U.S.
communities large and small. Gang experts say at least 21,500 gangs ‹ with more than 731,000 members ‹ are active nationwide. Long-established domestic gangs like the Bloods and the Crips remain powerful, but the problem has worsened dramatically in recent years. Heavy immigration, particularly from Latin America and Asia, has introduced highly violent gangs like Mara Salvatrucha and the Almighty Latin Kings Nation. Bound by tight ethnic and racial ties, they often stymie police investigations by assaulting or killing potential witnesses. Having already diversified from illegal drugs into auto theft, extortion, property crimes and home invasion, some East Coast gangs have begun trafficking in fraudulent identification papers that could be used by terrorists. While experts agree gangs are more pervasive than ever, few agree on a remedy.
Dick Tracy
(719) 599-3486
or contact by email
