Gangs in South Florida

Hybrid Gangs in South Florida

On Public Policy towards Volatile Movements

South Florida has an increasing prevalence of criminal gangs in their communities and it is posing a growing threat to their security and safety. It is clear that in that region criminal hybrid gangs are spreading violence and fear in their neighborhoods making places like their parks unusable, and even bringing corrupt behavior passages to work and school, stopping legitimate businesses consisting of tourism, and bringing down property values. Right now, there are more hybrid gangs in Florida than ever before, with approximately 400 in South Florida alone, as stated by the latest state study. Hybrid gangs are not a new threat, nevertheless the most recent state study displays the problem is getting worse especially in South Florida. In 1991, there were 160 gangs in the south Florida region, but by 2007 the number jumped to beyond 1,500 with more than 65,000 associates or acquaintances, which is crudely the population of the south Florida area. Nevertheless the gangs are still involved with things such as the burglaries, drugs and car thefts not to mention that sometimes those crimes do turn into some kind of violence, and authorities have mentioned this many times regarding the south Florida area. Many in the region are very aware that it is too hard to figure out how much money law enforcement spends trying to put an end to all of the fighting gangs, but the Department of Corrections made the point that members cost tax payers beyond $132 million each year to just lock them up. With that said, the problem of gangs in South Florida is becoming a huge deal.

II. Factors Bearing on the Problem

1. LACK OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM

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People are looking the other way when it comes to the problem of hybrid gangs. In spite of evidence of gang crime and violence throughout south Florida, communities are denying the obvious gang presence that is going on in their neighborhoods. Many people in the regions are afraid to talk about the growing hybrid gangs. It appears to be easier for them if they just look the other way hoping the problem will take care of itself. The sad part about that theory is that it is not taking care of itself, but indeed growing by the minute. Many citizens are just reluctant to admit that there is a hybrid gang problem because of fear. Some of those in the communities believe that as long as it does not come in their neighborhood, then it is their problem. However, denying the problem is not working because all it does is leave it to fester. As a result, the gangs continue to flourish amidst community indifference.

Many experts lack knowledge about hybrid gangs and its association to serious health risks for children. Leaders in the community have failed when it comes to using their leadership positions, For instance the American Academy of Pediatrics has failed to assist in raising awareness of hybrid gangs in south Florida.

Last fall, many SMS students in South Florida received a survey asking for their thoughts on hybrid gang's activity in South Florida area. Currently, the survey results were compared to research done by a faculty member in the sociology department, and displayed some astonishing facts in regards to the common misconceptions a lot of students have about hybrid gangs (Ovalle, 2013). The survey showed that students that were not involved in gangs failed to realize that there was a problem. The survey also showed that they were actually unaware of as to how to even handle gangs in the South Florida area.

More information did show that students are knowledgeable of street gangs in some respects. The data makes the suggestion that these misconceptions are basically the result of students' depending on fictional representations of gang life that is going on in the entertainment media.

Authorities in south Florida blame the lack of knowledge concerning hybrid gangs on poor education, a bad economy, poverty, joblessness, suspicion of the government, and lack of opportunity to clarify why gangs are becoming more prevalent (Hobson, 2013). But of course, many authorities believe that the root cause and ultimate solution to this multifaceted problem comes back to something much more fundamental.

Most of the time when a police officer asks a gang member in Florida, "Are you in a gang?" there are big chances they will say no. This is because they recognize that police place extra inspection on recognized gang members. Some youths feel like they need to just claim some kind of gang membership around other teens. They do this to feel tough, and gangs might expand membership numbers to make their gang seem more commanding. Also, police departments do not report gang statistics truthfully. Federal grants for dealing with gang violence provide departments incentives to exaggerate gang numbers, while some departments deny having any gang difficulties at all to quiet down the public.

In South Florida, it appears that people in the community are failing to recognize the problem that Gangs are utilizing various methods to recruit members. Most in the community are unaware that targeting in recent years has been younger and younger juvenile offenders. Gangs aggressively recruit youngsters age 15 and younger so as to carry out dangerous assignments or carry the weapons or certain types of drugs. The region is also unaware that females are also recruited and influenced into similar activities.

When the area was surveyed, South Florida recognized that they are not even familiar with the profile of a typical gang member. They did not recognize that usually they are male school dropouts or truants, without a job (Sr., 2013). The community is unaware that the hybrid gang member is typically in trouble with the police and does not have good family relations. The gang delivers identity and status and, in return, the member progresses a fierce faithfulness to the gang and nation.

The problem is that nobody understands who the hybrid gangs are. Basically, all gangs have oaths, mission statements, pledges, and a set of rules recognized as "laws" which each member must remember and abide. Loyalty is required in every facet of the gang philosophy. Admiration for the gang as a "nation" is taught and members in the community think this is not an issue. Also, the gang founders and past and present leaders are worshiped in numerous of these rituals and oaths.

1. LACK OF ASSESSING THE PROBLEM

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In South Florida, assessing the hybrid gangs is an issue. Instead of see something that is not working, and putting their energy into making it right, they shy away from assessing. Many times, however, the South Florida community first idea of what might work is not effective. This is particularly true if residents in South Florida are not taking the time to understand the issue. Such is the case with gang crime. Too every so often, the hybrid gangs, symbolize a serious threat to the safety of communities. It is supposed that rougher legislation will counter gangs in the South Florida community when experience and research both make the suggestion that a comprehensive approach will be more effective. In a lot of communities, gang crimes are simply the tip of an iceberg that consist of an array of symptoms, risk factors, and bad results. What makes the problem complex is its variety: black, white, Hispanic, and Pacific-Asian gangs contrast, even in the similar city (Sisneros, 2009). The hybrid gangs, are dissimilar across towns and cities.

The situation has to be assessed first before anything can be done. It is obvious that before South Florida is able to come up with any type of solutions to the gang problems, it is best for them to understand the nature of the issue. Some of the things that they need to assess are the following:

1. How many gangs and gang members are there in your community?

1. What are they doing to solve issue?

1. Where are they doing it? Is it an emerging or chronic problem?

1. What sorts of local conditions contribute to your gang problem?

1. Why are young people joining gangs in your community? Information should be gathered from law enforcement, schools, community organizations, and youth, themselves.

Actions recommended by respondents to speak to the hybrid gang's involvement were logical but to enforced. If a lack of youth activities donates to gang involvement, then the provision of youth programs would be a sensible method to a solution. Also, the same could be specified for the need for jobs, and job training to ease the influence of poverty, and mentoring programs to counter negative peer or influences of the family

Sixty-four percent of community residents in south Florida, mentioned the need for jobs and job training, 57% recreation or youth programs, and 58% mentoring. Also, community leaders in South Florida looked at the need for jobs and job training (55%), adult and youth programs (45%), and strategies or programs to increase parental involvement (77%) as the primary solutions to youth gang involvement (Crews, 2014). Additionally, youth serving organizations quoted jobs (34%), mentoring (80%) and youth programs or recreation (62%) as their top three solutions for youth gang involvement once an assessment in many south Florida neighborhoods was done (Hobson, 2013).

Also, results of the community resource inventory specified a need for a systematic method to printing a data base of youth programs and services in South Florida to help with hybrid gangs. It is hard to figure out if these suggested solutions need some kind of additional funding or services that have programs that are effective. There is presently no reference tool for youth-serving resources, which makes it hard for residents to look at some services. It also makes it hard for officials to develop policies or prepare budgets to address youth and youth gang matters.

Upfront planning and assessment of the gang problem can save both time and resources. It also can prevent other pitfalls such as overstating the scope of the problem and alarming community residents unnecessarily, and wrongly labeling youth as gang members and possibly violating their civil rights.

For years, the hybrid gangs has been growing in South Florida, but the extent and nature of crimes done by gang members are just now starting to emerge. It has been discovered that the hybrid gangs are really becoming responsible for increases in crime, and that they are bringing in more younger and younger youth.

The assessment, if done properly, will set the stage for the creation of objectives, purposes, and activities, and should be able to provide some of the local politicians and practitioners with an impartial source of information. This data is vital if politicians, police force officials, and service providers are to apply time and money where it will do the most best.

1. LACK OF ACTING ON THE PROBLEM

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There is a lack of stakeholders that actually get involved with the hybrid gang issue in South Florida. Organize stakeholder groups in the community in order to stay informed, share information, and collaborate on targeted multi-strategy solutions.

The participation of judges, prosecutors, social service providers, crime victims, law enforcement officers, community-based organizations, and others is critical to refining the juvenile justice system and plummeting youth violence (Walter Pacheco, 2009). The Action Plan ropes interagency law enforcement teams, or task forces, that organize the investigative efforts and suppression approaches of Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies in weapons, gang arrests and drugs.

Gang numbers are expected to go up - again - in 2011 throughout South Florida. Nonetheless that might not unavoidably be a bad thing for investigators, who have been rejecting a gang issue. A statewide focus has facilitated to identify dangerous criminals and may even be a factor in a recent intense crime reduction.

In 2007, the region did not know everything that was out there because they had been slow to reacting to the hybrid gang issue. There was just not enough policies put in place in order to combat the gang issue. The feeling for the longest time in South Florida regarding hybrid gangs was that if you admitted you had gangs, more individuals would desire to connect with them and join. During that time and even now, law enforcement in South Florida took a head-in-the-sand line of attack (Crews, 2014). To some extent, that all changed in 2007 when then-Attorney General Bill McCollum pushed through on a campaign promise to combat gangs all over the state and uncover that the issue did not just belong to South Florida alone (Hobson, 2013). They were hoping the new attorney general, Tampa prosecutor Pam Bondi, will keep pressure on the hybrid gang issue.

Still, the spotlight on gangs in South Florida is not helping enough to highlight deeper difficulties with Florida families (Hobson, 2013). It is obvious that there's an allure to the gang issue. It seems to meet a need for young persons. In their eyes, it is like a family to them which is the shared belief among the task force in the region. A lot of people in the area believe that young people are utilizing social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook to flash photographs of firearms and hybrid gang signs to young recruits (Roles, 2013). One of law enforcement's challenges is to show penalties to any of the perceived glamor in those images, but have not been effective.

Hybrid gang are being tracked in each of South Florida 67 counties, adding that the organizations' explanations run the range from Miami drug-runners to countryside white supremacists. While Miami gangs like the "103rd Street Certified Head Bustas" and "45th Street" have come to be the authorities' focus in the past years, a drug-running operation recognized as "23rd Street" made headlines in South Florida but failed to act upon it and therefore investigators were not that successful in breaking up a gang named the "9-Tek Grenades" in 2013 (Yudice, 2009).

The 2012 South Florida Gang Reduction Strategy report recognized 127 gangs in the 13-county region (Chepesiuk, 2012). Most of the gang activity in South Florida is contained in the northwest section of town, but investigators articulate the groups getting busted tend to be organized insecurely but not being acted upon enough. Some would say that it is more or less like they these kids want to wear the jersey but have no type of quarterback or training," (Ovalle, 2013)

Because there is a lack of acting upon the gang issue, the attorney general was not able to increase gang prosecutions, which would be something that would help save money on police resources in the near future.

On the campaign trail, politicians even mentioned that South Florida has one of the worst hybrid gang problems in the nation. Some senators believe that a blend of youth programs and public-private partnerships is really needed. These programs can reduce interest in gangs and rehabilitate former hybrid gang members, but it is hard to do all of this since there is a lack of acting upon the problem.

The research shows that the economy has hurt the already-struggling agencies, which are needed to keep jailed hybrid gang members off the streets when they are paroled. There is no type of services that are being put in practice to help them either. Many in the South Florida area do not see it as something that important to jump on. They are very slow when it comes to acting upon this matter.

1. LACK OF PREVENTION AND EDUCATION

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It is clear that there is a lack of parent involvement when it comes to the gang issues. They all need to be educated on how to spot the signs of gang association, and how to work with their children in order to make gangs seem less stylish. There is a lack of parents teaching their children that joining a gang can destroy their lives; lead to things such as criminal records; and, eventually, to prison (Walter Pacheco, 2009). Most essentially, parents lack the need to recognize the signs and pursue the proper intervention and education.

Families need support in dealing with their children who are at risk of gangs. Training in parental skills provides these parents the knowledge, but most of them lack that ability. Also, the capability to benefit their children in staying out of trouble is something that they are lacking as well. Parents time and again tend to respond intensely to the gang issue; as a result, the information provided to them must be balanced with useful, hopeful policies that they can use to turn their children away from hybrid gangs in South Florida. Most law enforcement, school, and community-based providers in South Florida agree that teaching parents about hybrid gangs is essential and serious. Law enforcement and educators need to work together to develop the essential devices and materials to teach parents.

South Florida schools have lacked being involved with gang prevention programs for years. There are a few programs, but they are not being enforced like they need to be. In an attempt to keep gang problems under control, school programs lack focusing on hybrid gang members, getting rid of graffiti, deciding potential conflicts among gang members, and offering parents with better information on hybrid gangs. Numerous schools today have strict dress codes to stop the wearing of gang colors, but the South Florida schools lack enforcing the students to wear them. Schools have increased security and closed their grounds to restrain hybrid gang members from recruiting students. In some occurrences, South Florida schools are using metal detectors to monitor weapons but they lack the man power.

However, since the mid-1980s, schools have been getting some anti-drug abuse funding, which has endorsed them to instrument drug-abuse prevention curricula but there is not enough funding (Yudice, 2009). However, this drug-abuse prevention program is acknowledged as DARE.

Also, numerous school and law enforcement partnerships in South Florida have been fashioned in response to the increase in school crime but not enough of prevention of hybrid gangs. The police on South Florida school campuses has changed over the years, but not necessarily for the better. Law enforcement presence on school campuses often consist of contribution in student development instead of just a reply to "trouble." This participation is acknowledged as the Jeopardy Program. This is a gang prevention program in some South Florida schools for boys and girls ages 8 through 17 and their parents (Sisneros, 2009). However, they lack doing a better job with the following objectives:

1. Decrease truancy

1. Improve grades

1. Increase graduation rates

1. Progress self-esteem

1. Decrease the risk of gang involvement

1. Increase conflict resolution and other life-affirming skills

1. Advance and demonstrate goal-setting skills

1. Increase reading and writing

1. Reduce violent and other unsuitable behavior

In the past communities in South Florida have joined forces with police in an expression of intolerance against drugs and prevention but there is a lack of more involvement now days. The attitude to get involved has decreased. This same attitude is now held for hybrid gangs. In 1988, some gang prevention programs in South Florida were given an increase with funding from the state (Chepesiuk, 2012). During that time, under the Office of Criminal Justice Planning, reserves were made obtainable through South Florida gang prevention and suppression curriculums at the community level. This incorporated funding for coordination and planning task forces.