Gang membership trends and impacts in the United States

¶ … Gangs

The Issue of Gangs

History of Gangs in the United States of America

Northeast Region (specifically New York City

Midwest Region (specifically Chicago)

West Region (specifically Los Angeles)

South Region First period

Current Status of Gangs in the United States of America

Types of Gangs in the United States of America

Factors Triggering Indulgence in Gangs

Impacts of Gang Activities on United States of America

Recommendations for Community Response

This paper will analyze the nature of gang membership within the United States of America by delving into the historical trends and current status of gang membership in the nation. Moreover, the paper will also discuss the factors that trigger the formation of gangs in the state. In addition, it will also put light on the types of gangs that exist in the U.S.A., and the impacts that these entities have on the nation. Furthermore, it will also propose recommendations for community response regarding this issue.

The Issues of Gangs

1. Introduction

The United States of America consists of a total of around 33,000 active violent motorcycle gangs, street gangs, and prison gangs. The total number of people or members associated with these gangs amounts to 1.4 million. A large number of these gangs indulge in highly organized and sophisticated activities, however, irrespective of their degree of sophistication all of these gangs use violence to control their neighborhoods. (Staff Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2015; Staff Members of the National Gang Intelligence Center, 2012)

In addition to that, these gangs also use coercion and power to establish and boost their illegal money making operations, which may include drug and gun trafficking, robbery, fraud, prostitution rings, and extortion. As indicated by the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment report, the active gangs in the United States of America are responsible for about 48% of violent crimes in most of the jurisdictions of the state, whereas, in some of the jurisdictions this percentage ranges up to 90%.(Staff Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2015; Staff Members of the National Gang Intelligence Center, 2012)

This paper, therefore, aims at analyzing the current status, historical growth, and projected trends of gang membership in the United States of America. In addition to that, it will also put light on the current research on gang formation and the implications for society and community. Furthermore, the paper will identify and classify the types of gangs common in various geographical or societal communities and their effect on social, educational, and criminal justice systems, including social service and health providers, police, courts, and schools. Moreover, the paper will assess various approaches, programs, and policies for responding to gang formation and activities and would propose recommendations for community response.

2. History of Gangs in the United States of America

The formation of gangs did not follow a uniform pattern across the United States of America. The initial emergence of some of the serious gangs was witnessed by the East Coast in the era of 1820s, which was led by New York City. The Midwestern region of the United States of America, specifically Chicago and the Western regions, specifically Los Angeles, witnessed the development of gangs half century after the formation of the gangs on the East Coast.The south region of the United States of America, on the other hand, did not see development of gangs for almost another half century, as gangs began to develop in this region in the era of 1960s.(Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

The following section puts light on the history of gangs in the United States of America.

2.1. Northeast Region (specifically New York City)

The emergence of first gang like groups was witnessed in this region right after the end of American Revolution, in the year 1783, these group mainly consisted of White European immigrants, including English, Germans, and Irish. In the year 1820, however, serious ganging began in the city of New York, which was followed by the formulation of the first well organized gang in Rosanna Peers' greengrocery's backroom. (Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

In addition to that, the Chinese also began setting up their sophisticated tongs in this region during 1960s. This situation was further worsened by the arrival of Poles, Italians, Austrians, and other immigrants during 1890 and 1930. The era of 1900s also witnessed the initiation of black gangs and the proliferation of the criminal network into the regions of Manhattan, northern East Harlem and the Bronx and southeastern Brooklyn.(Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

2.2. Midwest Region (specifically Chicago)

The first street gang was developed in Chicago in the 1860s, this gang was formulated by white immigrants, and consisted of various ethnicities including Irish, German, and Lithuanian people. During the 1920s the gangs began to take root in the patronage networks that were run by strong authorities and politicians, one of the popular gangs in such network was the Al Capone gang. (Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

After the race riot of 1919 race riot, gangs were formulated by black males to counter attack the hostile white gang members who terrorized the African-American community. In addition to that, the Mexican gangs were also formulated in the era of 1950s. The worst African-American gang problem of Chicago exploded in the year 1960, which led towards elevated rates of crime and violence. (Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

2.3. West Region (specifically Los Angeles)

The era of 1890s witnessed the emergence of gangs, consisting of members with Mexican ancestry, in the western region of the United States of America, which was followed by the formation of first Mexican-American gangs in Los Angeles in the 1920s. The formulation and operations of Mexican-American gangs, on the other hand, were stipulated by two major events in Los Angeles, namely the Sleepy Lagoon murder and the zoot suit riots.(Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

In addition to that, there was also an acceleration in the rate of Mexican immigration in the beginning of 1950s. As a result, the African-American gangs, which were very well established in the low income housing projects, started to assume the position of street gangs in Los Angeles.Moreover the Vietnam War, the Chicano movement, and the War on Poverty, which occurred in the era of 1960s and 1970s, also promoted and steadied the formulation and operations of Mexican gangs in Los Angeles.(Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

The populated areas across California witnessed the formulation and proliferation of gang networks by 1970s. In addition to that, the roots and activities of gangs in the western region of the United States of America were further strengthened by the amalgamation of crack cocaine dealing and consumption and the gang culture in the African-American ghettos. (Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

2.4. South Region First period

The southern region of the United States of America did not witness the emergence of any kind of gang activity before 1970s. Even after the end of 1970s only Miami and San Antonio were said to have witnessed some minimal gang activity. There was, however, a sharp and evident increase in the gang activities in the southern region of the United States of America by 1950s. Consequently, by the end of 20th century the southern region also matched other regions of the United States of America in the rate and intensity of gang activities, with the emergence Houston as the new center for gang activities.(Howell, Egley, Tita & Griffiths, 2011; Howell & Griffiths, 2015)

4. Types of Gangs in the United States of America

The four basic types of gangs that exist in various regions of the United States of America include: street gangs, prison gangs, neighborhood-based gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs. All of these are discussed in the following section:

Street Gangs and Neighborhood-Based Gangs: These gangs are present across a number of regions throughout the United States of America. The membership of these gangs vary from region to region, in terms of number of members, ethnic and racial composition, and structure and composition, from region to region. (Pappas, 2001; Staff Members of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2014; and Staff Members of the Joint Crime Information Center Intelligence & Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, 2014)

Prison Gangs: These can be defined as the criminal organizations that formulate within the law enforcement and punitive system that exists within the United States of America. Prison gangs are criminal agencies that continue proliferate themselves outside the penal systems of the nation. A prison gang generally consists of a limited number of members, who are organized on the basis of a well-established hierarchy and are governed by a stringent code of conduct. An evident variation exists in the structure as well as composition of prison gangs in the United States of America, ranging from highly structured gangs such as theNuestra Familia (NF) AND Aryan Brotherhood (AB), to less formal gangs such as the Mexican Mafia (Eme). The number of members in prison gangs are generally less than that of the outlawed motorcycle gangs and streets gangs. In addition to that, these members are organized along specific racial and ethnic lines.(Pappas, 2001; Staff Members of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2014; and Staff Members of the Joint Crime Information Center Intelligence & Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, 2014)

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs:These can be referred to as criminal organizations whose members deploy motorcycle clubs as channels to conduct illegal activities. These organizations are highly structured and indulge in severe criminal activities including, weapon trafficking, violent crime, and drug trafficking. Currently, more than 300 outlawed motorcycle gangs operate in the United States of America, some of these have single chapters with 6 to 7 members, whereas, others have hundreds of chapters with thousands of members operating throughout the world.(Pappas, 2001; Staff Members of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2014; and Staff Members of the Joint Crime Information Center Intelligence & Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, 2014)

5. Factors Triggering Indulgence in Gangs

A number of factors trigger the individual to become members of the gangs and indulge in illicit activities. One such factors is anxiety and depression, as these factors lead toward high degrees of frustration and make the affected individual emotionally unstable. As a result, the individual may join the gangs. In addition to that, economic problems and financial instability are also one of the most influential factors that trigger an individual to join gangs. This is because the gangs are generally financial rewarding and have the ability to change the financial status of an individuals. Other factors that may lead towards gang membership include drug usage, psychological problems, and family background. (Madden, 2013; Taylor, 2013)

6. Impacts of Gang Activities on United States of America

An evident threat is posed to the economy and safety of the United States of America by large street gangs, as these gangs are responsible for circulating and transporting large quantities of illicit drugs across the nation. In addition to that, these gangs are also violent in their activities and hence pose severe threat to public safety. Similarly prison gangs are also a threat at national level because of their influential role in drug transportation and trafficking. In addition to that, prison gangs also act as channels between drug trafficking organizations and outlawed motorcycle gangs. (Pappas, 2001; Staff Members of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2014; and Staff Members of the Joint Crime Information Center Intelligence & Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, 2014)

By taking legal positions in military installations, corrections facilities, government bodies, and law enforcement agencies, gang members exploit these agencies to proliferate their criminal enterprises throughout the nation. By getting employed in military, law enforcement, and judiciary systems, the gang members misuse their power and also encourage their family members and subordinates to follow this suite, which as a result enables them to target law enforcement, keep track of the rivals, and hinder criminal investigation. Furthermore, the presence of gang members in the U.S. military also pose a serious threat to the community and public safety, as the gang members may gain an access to advanced weapons, develop combat skills, master the use of advanced weapons, and gain an access to the sensitive information.(Pappas, 2001; Staff Members of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2014; and Staff Members of the Joint Crime Information Center Intelligence & Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, 2014)

In addition to that, the presence of gangs in the schools of United States of America acts as a hindrance for the educators, and law enforcements agencies. A link exists between the crimes in primary, secondary, and high schools, selected college campuses and the street gangs. This is because school provides the gangs with an effective ground for recruitment of new members, and a number of criminal activities, such as robberies, assaults, intimidation, threats, weapon offences, and drug distribution are wide spread in a number of public schools in the United States of America. (Pappas, 2001; Staff Members of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2014; and Staff Members of the Joint Crime Information Center Intelligence & Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, 2014)

7. Recommendations for Community Response

The following strategies can be deployed at community level to reduce the proliferation of gangs in the United States of America and to combat the threats posed by these gangs:

One of the approach is to enhance the penalties imposed on the criminals and increase the frequency of incarceration.(Pappas, 2001)

In addition to that, the concerned authorities shall also introduce community-based programs, school programs, college campaigns to reduce the degree of violence in these institutions. This is because gangs generally target these institutions as they provide a fertile ground for recruitment.(Pappas, 2001)

Moreover, community policing, which includes development of stronger ties between the law enforcement agencies and community members, and enhancement of communication channels between them, shall also be introduced for effective reporting and management of gang activities.(Pappas, 2001)

Apart from that, educative programs that provide the community members with necessary information about gangs and their impact on the nation shall be introduced. Furthermore, the members of the community shall also be trained to eradicate these activities from their localities.(Pappas, 2001)