Gangs In The United States

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Gangs "A gang member is any person who actively participates in criminal gang activity with knowledge that its members engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal activity and who willfully promotes, furthers, or assists in any felonious criminal conduct by members of that gang"(District Attorney Home Page) Black, White, Asians, and Hispanics, every race is a member of the history of gangs. Gangs is not anything new to the United States. We can trace the history of gangs all the way back to the 1920’s. In the city of Chicago they had over 1,300 gangs in just that city. It was also in the 1900’s that we also started to have gangs show up in Los Angeles, California. Post Revolutionary War days gangs formed for a means of self protection…show more content…
Teenage gang prevention involves early intervention. At risk programs offer mentorship and activities to do after school. Kids need to find summer jobs or fun activities that will keep them off the streets. They need to learn to make the right choice and that is to participate in activities that will help them to succeed and educate them and keep them from joining a gang that could see them arrested or killed. As for older gangs that are organized and commit the more violent crimes, prevention usually involves getting the community to protect themselves. They can create a neighborhood watch programs, they have to be willing to advise the police of suspicious activities and not create environment where gangs can thrive. People need to believe that they have equal opportunities to succeed and educate themselves, gangs are less likely to exist. Techniques for gang interventions vary with the division that is handling the case. They all have the same goal, that is to stop gang violence. “Many gang intervention units strive to remove violent criminals from the street, but they also want to prevent young people from joining or forming street gangs as well. Gang intervention units have community projects such as classes to inform and educate the youth of the dangers in joining and becoming a part of a gang. They also have groups within the unit who infiltrate gangs to find information on initiations and locations to help prevent…show more content…
(1989). AFT Safety Survey Validates Problems." (School Safety ed., p. 31). Retrieved August 6, 2011 (11)Harper, S. (1989). LA's Gangbusters -- Lessons Learned (School Safety ed., pp. 12-15). Retrieved August 6, 2011 (12)Jurgenson, K. (1992). Let's Cut the Firepower on the USA's City Streets (p. 12A). N.p.: USA Today. Retrieved August 6, 2011 (13)Mydans, S. (1992). Gangs Abiding by Cease Fire in Los Angeles (p. 1A). N.p.: New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2011 (14)National School Safety Center . (n.d.). Gangs in Schools: Breaking UP is Hard to Do. Retrieved August 6, 2011 (15)Malibu: Pepperdine University Press. (1988). Drugs and Gangs. Retrieved August 6, 2011 (16)Stephens, R. D. (1989). Gangs, Guns & Drugs." (School Safety ed., pp. 16-17). Retrieved August 9, 2011 (17)Stewart, S. A. (1989). Drugs, Violence, Rituals, Slaves (p. 6A. ). N.p.: USA Today. Retrieved August 6, 2011 (18) Today, U. (Ed.). (1992). Teen Killers (col.3A ed.). Retrieved August 9, 2011 (19) Short History Of Gangs - American-History. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2011 (20) What Is A Gang? - District Attorney Home Page. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6,2011 (21) Gang History - Gangs OR Us - Identifying street gangs ... (n.d.). Retrieved August 6.

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