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Ready, Fire, Aim……. Characteristics of Gang Definitions. Group characteristics. Symbols of membership. Persistence of membership. Self-identification. Criminal involvement. Characteristics of Gang Members. Is this the face of the gang problem in Coral Gables?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Understand and Responding to Gangs in the New Millenium
Scott Decker, Ph.D.
School of Criminal Justice and Criminology Arizona State University
(602) 543-8067
Ready, Fire, Aim……
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
1975 1988 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Estimated Number of Gang Members Based on Reports by City and County Law Enforcement, 1975-2004
Y e s N o
G a n g a n d N o n g a n g C itie s Y e a r 2 0 0 0 N a tio n a l Y o u th G a n g S u rv e y
Characteristics of Gang Definitions
Group characteristics.
Symbols of membership.
Persistence of membership.
Self-identification.
Criminal involvement.
Characteristics of Gang Members
Is this the face of the gang problem in Coral Gables?
Is this the Port St. Lucie gang problem?
62%
38%
Gender of U.S. Gang Members
Data Sources: NYGC 1996 Survey, Esbensen & Winfree (1998)
90%
10%
Survey DataLaw Enforcement Data
FemaleMale
77%
23%15%
85%
15 & OverUnder 15
Age of U.S. Gang Members
Survey DataLaw Enforcement Data
Data Sources: NYGC 1996 Survey, Esbensen & Winfree (1998)
Characteristics of Gang Behavior
Community characteristics, assets, and deficits.
Gang member characteristics – race/ethnicity, age, gender, siblings,family structure, neighborhood, education.
Gang Characteristics – turf, age of the gang, initiation rites, exit rites, link to prison gangs, hanging out.
Gang Organizational Characteristics – rules, roles, leaders, meetings, handling of money.
Gang Activities – crime and non-crime.
Gang Crime – involvement in gang versus non-gang crime, drugs, guns,violent crime, property crime, rivalries.
What do we need to know to create successful gang Prevention, Intervention, Suppression and Re-entry strategies?
Organizational Structures of Gangs
Corporate Cells Episodic Groups
Super Gangs Purposive Local GangsNational Presence Small Cafeteria offendingOlder Members Focused Younger membersLong life of the Gang Specialists Non purposivePrison involvement Isolated Hanging outProfit motives dominate Criminal events Cafeteria style crime
How are gang members organized in your community? What is your source of information about their organizational structure?
What are the implications for understanding gangs? Human Smuggling? Terrorism? Drug Smuggling?
What are the implications for responding to gangs by law enforcement, the community, social services and NGOs for each type?
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5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0
10
20
30
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60
70
80
70%34%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Why are we interested in gangs rather than just delinquency?
Gang Status & Self-Reported Delinquency, St. Louis STG Study
% Used Violence
None Involved Member
% Carried Gun
5% 40%
% Shot At
7% 34%
Gang Status
Who is “involved”?
Serious & Chronic Offenders Gang Leaders
Other Active Gang Members and Associates
Children and Adolescents atHigh Risk for Gang Involvement
General Population of Youth and FamiliesLiving in High Risk Areas
Share of IllegalActivity
Relative Share of Population
Focusing Anti-Gang Strategies
Targeted Enforcement
Serious & Chronic
Offenders
Other Community Members
High Risk Youth
Gang Involved Youth Gang Intervention
Secondary Prevention
Primary Prevention
Responding to Gangs
Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth
at www.helpingamericasyouth.gov
Five Strategies for Responding to Gangs
Suppression
CommunityOrganization
OrganizationalChange/Development
OpportunityProvision
SocialIntervention
Five Strategies for Responding to GangsLevels of Application as Primary Strategy
1988 National Youth Gang Survey
Computed from ICPSR Data Base
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Su
pp
res
sio
n
So
cia
lIn
terv
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tio
n
Org
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lC
ha
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e
Co
mm
un
ity
Org
an
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tio
n
Op
po
rtu
nit
ies
Pro
vis
ion
Five Strategies for Responding to GangsPerceived Effectiveness Ratings
1988 National Youth Gang Survey
Computed from ICPSR Data Base
0%
10%
20%
30%
Su
pp
res
sio
n
So
cia
lIn
terv
en
tio
n
Org
an
iza
tio
na
lC
ha
ng
e
Co
mm
un
ity
Org
an
iati
n
Op
po
rtu
nit
ies
Pro
vis
ion
The Basics of a Response to Gangs
1. Diagnose the problemGangs? Delinquency?
Violence? Drugs?
2. Does the response match the problem?
3. Is the dose big enough? Can it be delivered? (implementation )
4. Can the response be sustained?
PreventionHelping America’s Youth website
1. Community Organization
2. Improving Conditions
3. Creating Opportunities
4. Early Childhood Programs “School Readiness”
5. School-Based Programs (GREAT)
6. After School Activities
7. Operation Nightlight
8. Consent to Search Programs
9. Weed and Seed (link to existing resources)
Intervention:
1. Outreach Workers2. Crisis Intervention3. Boys and Girls Clubs4. Improving Conditions5. Violence-Free Zones6. Gang Summits and Truces7. Emergency Room Interventions8. Victim Programs9. Evening Reporting Centers10. Notification Meetingshttp://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/pdf/Offender Notification Meetings.pdf 1. Gang Members in Custody
PrisonJailDetention
Levers, Pro-Social Involvement and Alternatives
Suppression1. Prosecution
Vertical ProsecutionPSN and Case Review
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/pdf/Gun_Prosection_Case_Screening.pdf 2. Police
Directed Patrol – Intelligence Led PolicingGun Focused PolicingSurveillance of Gang MembersWorst of the Worst
. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/pdf/Most Violent Offender Lists.pdf “Supportive Roles”
3. Intelligence, Mapping and Tracking SystemsCALGANGReal time incident maps
T
The Really Hard Stuff
Implementation
Timing
Coordination
Sustaining Success
Why is it important to understand gangs?What errors does it lead us to make for policy, practice and programming if we misunderstand gangs? Who suffers from such a misunderstanding?
Police.Youth.Youth Workers.Society.Gang members.Family members.Community.Civic culture.
The St. Louis Safe Futures Experience.
Gangbuster?