Running head: ASIAN AND LATINO YOUTH GANGS Asian and Latino Youth Gangs and their Impact on the Communities and the Criminal Justice System CJ 228: Multicultural Issues in Criminal Justice Professor: Edward James April 17, 2010 Asian and Latino Youth Gangs, their impact on their Communities and the Criminal Justice System Gang-related statistics are maintained sporadically across the nation; make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to obtain an exact measurement of gang violence. The lack of a national definition of “gang” and the national trend of gang problems throughout our cities and towns continue to be a problem for law enforcement and communities. Only estimates of the actual number of gangs and gang members across the United States exist (2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, p ix). The changing demographics of Asian and Latino youth gangs in some small towns and rural areas may contribute to the emergence or escalation of gang problems. (2005 NYGC, Bulletin No 1, p.1) New and emergent trends in criminal activity will surface as gang migration occurs at an increasing level crossed the country.
Thesis Statement Youth in America join and become involved in street gangs because of a lack of strong social institutions, and for power, safety, and the perceived respect within their community. Background Street gangs have been and will always be a problem in America and in California. One of the biggest problems when it comes to street gangs is, according to Howell, “There is no single, universally accepted definition of a gang or gang member. In fact, neither gang researchers nor law enforcement agencies can agree on a common definition” (Howell, 2012, p.53). Based on information from Howell, street gangs have been around since the early 1800s on the east coast.
Introduction Law enforcement has failed the public in regards to curbing gang activity due to youth crime is purely lower class. It must be due to poverty, unemployment, social disorganization, culture conflict, and alienation. Youths who lack wealth or social standing are the most likely to use criminal means to achieve their goals. Communities that lack economic and social opportunities produce high levels of frustration. Different communities believe that law enforcement is responsible for curbing gang activity.
Dismantling Gangs Throughout time, gangs and gang culture have been a distinct force within communities and social ladders worldwide. The government has implemented many ideas and put them forth to work against the gangs, but gangs continue to add to their numbers due to traditional recruiting processes. Gangs make up a significant portion of the United States subcultures in the inner cities and suburbs alike. The only way to combat them is to stick to some sort of effective deterrent against these men and women, which has unfortunately, yet to be found. The politicians and law enforcement agencies need to remember that the gangs must be targeted and attacked as a whole, and not to single out a certain individual within the group.
There are many different theories on how to decrease crime rate such as not having the right to bear arms or keeping criminals behind bars for longer periods of time, but there isn’t really one solution to fix the problem. There will obviously always be corruption and crime, it is part of life, but I think that police forces could focus more on violent crimes than they do. We could also have more neighborhood crime watches in town. That way cops could drive around neighborhoods at night to make sure everything looks like it’s in order. This is especially needed in Lancaster City where there are so many random robberies and shootings on the streets.
We know that police officers use excessive force, and they also use their authority to verbally abuse people. So what causes police officers to abuse their authority, and (or) leads to brutality? One of the challenges with this is that not every citizen reports a police brutality, whether they see one happening, heard of one happening from their friends or family or if they themselves were a victim of one. Another challenging issue too is that we know some brutalities are not reported; therefore it makes it harder to measure those versus what is actually reported. Police brutality wouldn’t be an issue if we didn’t have to police our law enforcement officers.
The Problems of Team Policing CRMJ 305 The Problems of Team Policing There are many different styles of policing. Police departments have throughout the years adapted and changed their policing styles. Team policing has been one of those styles that have been tried by police departments. Team policing is full of problems and that is why it is not really a good style of policing for police departments to adopt. This paper will cover the early beginnings of team policing, the cons, and some city case studies.
In doing so, this gang becomes his family. He then "works towards the gang's antisocial goals” (www.Prison-gangs.com). If, for whatever reason, the new inmate is not suitable to gang life, he is often then the prey of gang members. Those who do not submit to becoming a gang member or who are not wanted by the gangs
CCJS360-Victimology November 18, 2013 1.Explain how inaccuracies in data creep into the statistics compiled by the various crime victimization surveys. What information about crime victims is not systematically collected by the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), or even the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS)? Why would this additional information be important? Some features of crime which affect our ability to measure it accurately are the relative infrequency of serious victimization, the skewed distribution of victimization in the population, and the furtive character of crime. Often times these surveys make the assumption that crimes are always discrete incidents rather than a repetitive social processes.
Peculiar drawings or language on school books or other personal items (may appear later as tattoos or brands - usually graffiti-like, hard to decipher, and characterized by crossed out, and upside-down letters, and gang symbols). Also unexplained cash or goods, i.e., clothing and jewelry; or. And lastly possible use of alcohol and drugs with attitude change (Siegel-Welsh 2012). There are various reasons that youth may join gangs, which can be influenced by conditions in their family, school and neighborhood. A vulnerable child seeks love, protection and the acceptance of his or her peers.