Gangs Prevention and Intervention programs

Since the 1970s’, gangs have evolved into a wide spread of social problems that desperately need to be resolve. No longer are we seeing gangs operated in major city such as Los Angeles, Oakland, Detroit, New Orland and New Jersey.  Smaller cities such as Marysville, Chico, Modesto and Fairfield are also being impacted by this rising problem. What make this issue problematic are due to the facts that gangs have the power to ruined communities, by creating criminal activities and drugs usage among teenagers and young adults (Winkelman, 1999). The impacts of gang’s violence have affecting the lives of innocent’s people across the country, causing communities to live in fears. Fears of being victims to drive-by shooting, murders, theft, robbery and rapes are making the community unsafe and difficult for many parents to raise their children.

One way of resolving this problem, is the creations of gang preventions and intervention programs, to combat and educate gang members, young adults and at-risk youths about the negatives lifestyle of gang. Prevention programs can help prevent young teenagers and adults from joining gang and save them from the life of criminal. These programs can also help deterred people who grew up in a gang community, and those who thought of joining gang. 

Through decades, law enforcement agencies, with the help of community services organizations have come up with several gangs’ preventions programs to fight this growing concern. Programs such as Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T) and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) are great examples of gang preventions programs. 

The goal of G.R.E.A.T is to help youths develops positive life skills that will help them to avoid gang involvement and violence behavior (GREAT, 2011). The G.R.E.A.T program is instructed by uniform law enforcement officers. Their goal is to teach students of positives life living skills to help them avoid using criminal behavior and violence as a method of solving problems. Not only does the program aim at educated students, but it also help parents and the community learned about gangs and their negative effect on the community.

 DARE is a drug prevention program between law enforcement officers and local schools officials, joining together to informed students about the personal and social consequence of substance abuse and violence. Their primary mission is to provide students in grade school with the information on how to live a drug and violence free life (DARE, 2011). The D.A.R.E program is developed to educate students with knowledge and skills to allow them to avoid the negative influences of drug usage and peers pressure, and instead help them to focus on the positive things that matter in their life. Moreover, DARE influences students to makes good decisions by saying no to drugs and gangs, and  to help ensure that students can grow up with a safe and secure life. 

Beside preventions program, another way of making the community safer is gang Intervention programs. Gang Intervention programs focused on helping those who are already members of a gang. The program is great, because it gives the gang members the opportunity to rehabilitate and live better lives. 

            In conversely, not all gang prevention and intervention programs will reduce problem involving gangs. However, these programs do helps educated students, parents and the community of the issues and makes them more aware of the negative impact that gang makes on society. Overall, gang’s preventions and interventions programs vary from one program to the other and therefore, not all programs will have the same effect.

 

References:

Winkelman, Susan (1999, July). Poverty and Prejudice: Gang Intervention and Rehabilitation. Ethnic of Development in a Global Environment. July, 1999. http://www.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/ganginterv/ganging.htm

 

D.A.R.E (1996). Drug Abuse Resistance Education. December, 2011. http://www.dare.com/home/InsideDAREAmerica/Story43fd.asp?N=InsideDAREAmerica  &S=13&S=28

 

G.R.E.A.T (2011). Gang Resistance Education and Training. December, 2011. http://www.great- online.org/Default.Aspx

Mara Salvatrucha AKA MS-13: America Most Violence Gang

Gangs in the United States have grown up to a significant numbers during the past few decades. As of year 2008, there are approximately 1 million gang members belonging to more than 20,000 different gangs nationwide (NGTA, 2009). Out of those 20,000 different gangs, one of them is called Mara Salvatrucha, or also referred to themselves as MS-13.  MS-13 is a group of gang that is formed in the early 1980s in the Pico Area of central Los Angeles. The gang is constructed mainly Salvadoran refugees who immigrant to the United States during the El Salvador Civil War. The group’s purpose for forming this alliance is for protection against other gangs.

The way MS-13 members identify themselves are the same way of what many others gangs are identifying themselves, by creating their own hand signal, graphic graffiti, and wearing color clothing that related to their gang. However, one of the main identification MS -13 members do to represents them and their gang is with tattoos. Tattoos written onto the skins with the word MS-13 or EL Salvadoran across the back, chest, arm, leg, knuckle and forehead are considers a way for the gang to identify themselves as members of the group.

            Since the founding of MS-13 in the 1980s, the group has been one of the fasted growing gang. MS-13 memberships increase rapidly and their activities are spreading quickly across many cities and states throughout America. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Mara Salvatrucha are consider to be America most largest and violence gang in the country. FBI statistic 2008, confirmed that there are currently about forty-two states in the U.S, including the District of Columbia reporting of having MS-13 members operated within their territories (FBI, 2008). This increasing numbers of memberships and spreading in geographic area are becoming a problem for many citizens. Citizen such as Elliott Hoskins, a Durham County Sheriff’s Deputy who used to work for San Diego Sheriff Department moved to North Carolina to get away from community of gangs, only to find himself ended up running into them again (Chitra, Jon, Munkia, 2004). Hoskins story is just one of the many stories that are similar to what others Americans are facing when they try to escape their community full of gangs.

            Although the Mara Salvatrucha is spread highly in its membership  and territories; what makes them the most dangerous gang is the background history of its members. Senior’s members and leaders of the MS-13 gang are formers guerilla soldiers who have been trained and fought the Civil War in El Salvador. These members came to the United States with fighting skills they learned from their military (Johnson, 2009). With many of them being skillful in combat and teaching it to their younger gang members, it will contribute to the increase of violence that the gang already committed. In additions, many young MS-13 members are being train by their senior gang leaders the same way as to what a soldiers are being train in the military. They are taught to use killing tactics such cold murder and dismember of their opponent. With the influence of seniors’ members the young members will be more violent.

According to a FBI Gang Special Agent, Robert G. Saale, “MS-13’s motto is to kill, rape, and be in control of their rivals’ gangs. They want to exert their influences into their community by getting respect from other rival gang members” (Wilber, 2010).  Besides the killing, raping and controlling, the gang also engages themselves in a wide range of highly criminal activity. Activities such as drug distributions, prostitutions, robbery, home invasions, kidnapping, and vandalism are some of the criminal activities that the gangs are well known for committing.

              Therefore, it is no doubt why FBI is considered the Mara Salvatrucha the most violence gang in America. They are highly large in term of demographic living, well trained by former soldiers, and having an attitude to kill rape and control anyone who gets in their way.

 

References:

Chitra, Ragavan, Jon, Elliston, and Monkia, Guttman. (2004, December). Terror on the Street.     U.S News and World Reports Vol. 137 Issue 21, p20-24, 5p, 3 Color Photographs, 1 Graph

 

FBI. (2008, January). The MS-13 Threat: A National Assessment. Federal Bureau of Investigation.           January, 20008. http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/january/ms13_011408

 

Johnson, Stephon. (2009, April). MS-13 Eyeing the Five Boroughs. Amsterdam News Press, April,             2009. http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.csus.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9414af2     e-16a3-4486-90d9-9922ffc12afd%40sessionmgr10&vid=1&hid=14

 

NGTA. (2009, January). National Gang Threat Assessment 2009. National Drug Intelligence         Center. January 2009. http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/index.htm

 

Wilber, Del Quentin. (2010, January). MS-13 Gang out to Kill, Rape and Control: FBI Agent. The Washington Post January 2010. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/gangs/ms-13-gang-out-to-kill-rape-an.html

Gangs and Illegal Firearms

Gangs and the uses of illegal firearms has been an ongoing debated among lawmakers and government officials for years. In a recent case, a Modesto Police Sergeant, Howard Stevenson was gun down by Andres Raya, a former marine and also a member of the Norteno (Mexican Blood) gang in Modesto California. This is a prime example of how gangs are misusing illegal firearms and affecting the lives of people today. Raya, a Norteno gang member purchased an illegal semiautomatic assault rifle and used it to killed Sergeant Stevenson as part of his gang (DaFao, 2005). This incident is one of many cases in the United States where gang members are using illegal firearms to shoot law enforcement officers and at other rival gang members. However, the problems that we are encountering today are the fears of gang members having easy access to illegal firearms and the danger that they possess onto our society.

            The using of guns to settle disputes between rival gang members has increase dramatically over the past few years. In the past, most disputed between gang members are solved with fist fight; now they are often being solved with handguns and semiautomatic weapons. (National Center for Victim of Crime, 1993). Gang members are no longer using fist fighting as a mean for revenge and respect. They turn to using guns and other illegal weapons to eliminate their rival gang members. The days of street fighting are over, and it is being replaced with illegal firearm.

Majority of the time, the firearms used to commit violent activities are guns that was stolen from the legal owners and sold to gang members at a cheaper price. Gabe Morales, a gang expert states that gang members can easily get stolen guns for about fifty to a hundred dollars. Most of the time, it is easier to get a stolen gun than to get a car (Mcnerthey, 2008). This is true, because often times gang members are poor and they can’t afford to buy a legal gun for five hundred to a thousand dollars. They rather buy illegal firearms from the black market where they can get it for a much cheaper price. Also, most gang members are on probation or parole, therefore, they are restricted from owning a legal gun. However, gang members would rather buy an illegal gun instead, because if they ever used that gun to commits crimes, it is harder to trace the weapon back to them.  Also, the majority of gang members denies purchasing legal weapons because the purpose of guns is for protection and settle dispute between them and their rivalry. They don’t care about gun regulations as long as gang members have guns to protect themselves or having one to help them commits crimes. 

Nevertheless, gang members who have access to illegal firearms are more likely to commits crimes, than those who do not own a firearm. According to a study, two third of gang members who owned an illegal gun had used it at least once. About one-third of them said it was okay to shoot someone who disrespected them (Decker & Howell, 1999). In addition, the availabilities of illegal firearms  has made it is easier for gang members to eliminate their opponents by killing them with a gun than fighting them on the street. Also, gang members with a firearm are more likely to get into drive by then those who do not; because when they have a gun, they feel that they are in more controlling on the other gangs. 

Bibliography 

Decker, S, Scott & Howell, C, James. (January, 1999). The Youth Gangs, Drugs, and violence        connection. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. January 1999. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/93920.pdf

 

DeFao, Janine. (January, 2005). CERES, STANISLAUS COUNTRY/ Marine who killed cop linked to gang activity/ Family members dispute account by investigation. SFGate.com. January    2005. http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-01-16/bay-area/17354990_1_andres-raya-gang-     member-liquor-store

 

Mcnerthney, Casey. (September, 2008). For Teens, Illegal guns easy to get on streets.Settlepi.com. September, 2008. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/For-teens-illegal-guns-easy-to-get-on-streets-1283875.php

 

National Center for Victims of Crime (1993). Gangs in America. The National Center for victims             of Crime. 1993.   http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewer&DocumentID=32352

Gang: A Factor Contribute to the Overcrowding Prisons

Overpopulated prisons are a huge concern among many taxpaying Americans. Since the United States declared the war on drug forty something years ago, the numbers of inmates increased rapidly. That increasing numbers has causes Americans taxpayers millions of dollars each year to maintain their prisons. As mentions by the Associate Press, there are more than 1.5 million inmates in the states and federal prisons and by the end of 2011, that numbers of inmates is expected to rise to 1.7 millions, a 13 percent increased (Chlemacher, 2007). So why are our prisons populations keep raising? And what are the reasons to it?  

According to law enforcement officers, one reasons for the rising in our prison populations is due to the growing numbers of gangs members within the community. USATODAY mentions that the recent increases in violent offenses is causes by a rise in gang memberships, the spread of highly addictive methamphetamine and the numbers of crimes committed by young people ages eighteen to twenty-four ( Johnson, 2006). This is true because the majority of violent crimes are committed by young adult ages eighteen and twenty-fours, but most importantly those young adult who are in gang. The reasons these young adults commit criminal activities are because they are naïve and need money to support their gang and drugs addiction. In addition, many of these young adults lived in poverty community where there are a huge percent of gangs and drugs influences among them. 

For example, in the county of Los Angeles, there are more than 1,300 street gangs with over 150,000 members and within the City of Los Angeles alone, there are over 400 separate street gangs and an estimated of 39,000 members (VPC, 2007). With this many gangs’ members, the causes of crimes will surly rise. Nevertheless, the National Drug Intelligence Center states that “Criminal gangs commit as much as eighty percent of the crimes in many communities” (NDIC, 2009). Eighty percent of the crimes committed by gang members are a lot of crimes and that is why many gang members are in prison. However, the majority of gang members who are in prison are in there for non-violence crimes such as the illegal possession of drugs and other contraband. So how is gang tide to the issues of prison overpopulating?

         In year’s end 2009, there are a total of 1,613,740 inmates in Federal and States Prisons (BJS, 2011). Out of those 1,613,740 inmates, more than 147,000 are well known documented gangs members (NGIC, 2009). Although this figures only showed a small portion of the gang inmates populations, don’t let that deceive you as there are more members who are unaccounted for. The 147,000s are only those who confess to being a gang member and the real numbers are still unknown. Also, most gang members who are arrested and convicted of a crime do not provide law enforcement officers and judges of their gang status. Most of the times they hide it, but surely if we were to look at the inmates prison group populations, we could easily express that there are more gang inmates than what the statistic are showing. Overall, in general, gang does contribute a higher numbers in increasing our prisons population and making our prison system to be overflowed.

Bibliography

BJS (2011, September). Prison Population count 2009. Bureau of Justice Statistics.             http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=131

 

Chlemacher, Stephen (2007, February). Study: Prison Population on the Rise. The associate Press 2007. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0214-07.htm

 

Johnson, Kevin (2006, September). Violence crimes rise after years of falling. USATODAY 2007.             http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-18-violent-crimes_x.htm

 

NDIC (2009, January). National Gang Threat Assessment 2009. National Drug Intelligence Center. http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/index.htm

NGIC (2009, January) Gang Proliferation. National gang Intelligence Center. http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/gangs.htm

 

VPC (2007, June). Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles.             http://www.ph.ucla.edu/sciprc/pdf/GANG_VIOLENCE.pdf