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Gangs and the MilitaryGangs and the MilitaryPresented at

Northwest Gang Investigators AssociationOctober 2007

Al Valdez, Ph.D. UCI & Carter F. Smith, APSU

Definitional ChallengesDefinitional Challenges

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Definition (Army) as of 23 Feb 06Definition (Army) as of 23 Feb 06

Gang• A group of individuals whose acts

of crime are committed against the public at large as well as other groups. A gang usually has in common one or more of the following traits: geographic area of residence, race, or ethnic background.

They have a defined hierarchy that controls the general activities of its members. Army Regulation 190–45

23 February 2006

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Definition (Army CID) - 1 Dec 06Definition (Army CID) - 1 Dec 06

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National Alliance of Gang National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations (NAGIA).Investigators Associations (NAGIA).

NAGIA developed a recommended definition of the term “gang” to facilitate a national discussion:

• Gang. A group or association of three or more persons who may have a common identifying sign, symbol, or name and who individually or collectively engage in, or have engaged in, criminal activity which creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Criminal activity includes juvenile acts that, if committed by an adult, would be a crime.

Motivation for JoiningMotivation for Joining

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• Military– Learn discipline and obedience & training in weapons,

explosives, and tactics (DA PAM 600-15)– great weapons training and access to weapons

• (Andrea Simmons, El Paso, TX FBI http://www.nysun.com/article/29230)

– Legal Employment/Career

• Gang– positive self-validation and self-definition– sense of both individual power and protection

• (Terrorist Organizations And Criminal Street Gangs, An argument for an analogy, 21

November 2002 - www.sandia.gov)

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• Sergeant escapes drugs, violence to lead troops in Iraq“When I was just a kid, I knew people getting killed by gangs,” said Reeves from southwest Oklahoma City. “It was hard growing up in that kind of environment, but I knew I didn’t want to be around it for the rest of my life.” US Army Public Affairs – www.us.army.mil

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In Mosul, a Battle 'Beyond Ruthless'In Mosul, a Battle 'Beyond Ruthless'

• Sgt. 1st Class Domingo Ruiz watched as three cars stopped on the other side of the road. A man carrying a machine gun got out.

• "Take him down," Ruiz told a sniper . . . the man's head exploded.

• It is a war that Ruiz said reminds him of his youth as a member of the Coney Island Cobras, a Brooklyn street gang. He said he applies many of the principles he learned in the rough neighborhoods where he grew up.

• Acting swiftly, he said, "sends a message to the enemy that we're not playing games. If you engage us, you are going to die.

Onetime Gang Member Applies Rules of Street

Gangs and the MilitaryGangs and the Military

Education

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