The Broward
County Crime Commission has studied the problems of gang activity in the United States
in relationship to crime rates, educational issues, and social issues.
According to the
FBI, some 33,000 violent street gangs,
motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs with about 1.4 million members are
criminally active in the U.S.
today. Many are sophisticated and well organized; all use violence to control
neighborhoods and boost their illegal money-making activities, which include
robbery, drug and gun trafficking, fraud, extortion, and prostitution rings.
The
proliferation of gang problems in large and small cities, suburbs, and even
rural areas over the last two decades led to the development of a
comprehensive, coordinated response to America's gang problem by the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
Based on law
enforcement responses to the National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS), it is estimated
that in 2010 there were 29,400 gangs and 756,000 gang members throughout 3,500
jurisdictions in the United
States. The overwhelming majority of gang
homicides are reported in very large cities (populations over 100,000) and
suburban counties. Of the more than 700 total homicides in Chicago,
Illinois, and Los Angeles, California,
over half were reported to be gang-related in 2010. These findings underscore
the highly concentrated nature of gang homicides in the United States.
In sum, gang
activity and its associated violence remains an important and significant
component of the U.S.
crime problem. While it has been reasonably assumed that gang-related violence
would follow the overall dramatic declines in violent crime across the U.S., new national data reveal overwhelming
evidence to the contrary—that is, gang violence rates have continued at
exceptional levels over the past decade despite the remarkable overall crime
drop in the U.S.
Gang Awareness
for Communities:
http://www.ncpc.org/programs/celebrate-safe-communities/csc-tools/media/csc-electronic-media-kit/Gang%20Fact%20Sheet%20-adult2-pdf.pdf
Best Practices
to Address Community Gang Problems:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/222799.pdf
Addressing
Community Gang Problems:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/164273.pdf
Responding to
Gangs in the School Setting:
http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Bulletin-5.pdf
History of
Street Gangs in the United
States:
http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/History-of-Street-Gangs.pdf
Street Outreach
Comprehensive Gang Model:
http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Street-Outreach-Comprehensive-Gang-Model.pdf
Gang
Prevention: An Overview of Research and
Programs:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/231116.pdf
Gang Awareness Guide
for the Community:
http://www.ncgangcops.org/archives/NCGIA%20Awareness%20Guide.pdf
Crime Prevention
for Children and Teens:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/231116.pdf
