THE U.S. GANG THREAT
Gangs are expanding, evolving and posing an increasing threat to U.S. communities nationwide. many gangs are sophisticated criminal networks with members who are violent, distribute wholesale quantities of drugs, and develop and maintain close working relationships with members and associates of transnational criminal organizations.
Gangs are becoming more violent while engaging in less typical and lower-risk crime, such as prostitution and white-collar crime.
Gangs are more organized, sophisticated, opportunistic and adaptable; exploiting new and advanced technology as a means to recruit, communicate discretely, target their rivals, and perpetuate their criminal activity.
Gangs are becoming more violent while engaging in less typical and lower-risk crime, such as prostitution and white-collar crime.
Gangs are more organized, sophisticated, opportunistic and adaptable; exploiting new and advanced technology as a means to recruit, communicate discretely, target their rivals, and perpetuate their criminal activity.
33,00+ GANGS | 1.4+ MILLION MEMBERS
The 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment Reported: 20,000 Gangs | 1.0 Million Members
The 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment Reported: 20,000 Gangs | 1.0 Million Members
The FBI says that "gangs are morphing, multiplying, migrating and entrenching themselves in our inner cities, suburbs and rural communities. They are selling drugs to our kids, shooting up our neighborhoods, invading our homes, robbing our banks and stores, stealing our identities, our money, and instilling fear and violence everywhere they go."
They are violent and are responsible for committing crimes from assaults to murder using firearms, machetes, fists and blunt objects to intimidate rivals, law enforcement, and the general public.
They are sprawling our highways, the Internet, and our communities intimidating and infecting all they come in contact with. In some communities, they are responsible for as much as a staggering 80 percent of all crimes.
The National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association (NAGIA) states "The scourge of gangs is a clear and present danger to our internal national security and adversely impacts the quality of life within our communities with violence, drugs and associated criminal activities."
They are violent and are responsible for committing crimes from assaults to murder using firearms, machetes, fists and blunt objects to intimidate rivals, law enforcement, and the general public.
They are sprawling our highways, the Internet, and our communities intimidating and infecting all they come in contact with. In some communities, they are responsible for as much as a staggering 80 percent of all crimes.
The National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association (NAGIA) states "The scourge of gangs is a clear and present danger to our internal national security and adversely impacts the quality of life within our communities with violence, drugs and associated criminal activities."
- There are approximately 1.4 million active street, prison, and OMG gang members comprising more than 33,000 gangs in the United States. Gang membership increased most significantly in the Northeast and Southeast regions, although the West and Great Lakes regions boast the highest number of gang members.
- Gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent crime in most jurisdictions and up to 90 percent in several others.
- Gangs are increasingly engaging in non-traditional gang-related crime, such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, and prostitution. Gangs are also engaging in white-collar crime such as counterfeiting, identity theft, and mortgage fraud, primarily due to the high profitability and much lower visibility and risk of detection and punishment than drug and weapons trafficking.
- US-based gangs have established strong working relationships with Central American and MDTOs to perpetrate illicit cross-border activity, as well as with some organized crime groups in some regions of the United States. US-based gangs and MDTOs are establishing wide-reaching drug networks; assisting in the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and illegal immigrants along the Southwest Border; and serving as enforcers for MDTO interests on the US side of the border.
- Gang members are acquiring high-powered, military-style weapons and equipment which poses a significant threat because of the potential to engage in lethal encounters with law enforcement officers and civilians. Typically firearms are acquired through illegal purchases; straw purchases via surrogates or middle-men, and thefts from individuals, vehicles, residences and commercial establishments. Gang members also target military and law enforcement officials, facilities, and vehicles to obtain weapons, ammunition, body armor, police gear, badges, uniforms, and official identification.
- Gangs are becoming increasingly adaptable and sophisticated, employing new and advanced technology to facilitate criminal activity discreetly, enhance their criminal operations, and connect with other gang members, criminal organizations, and potential recruits nationwide and even worldwide.
A 1.4 million gang members perspective.
Let's compare that to state and nation population* - (approximate & not all inclusive)
Let's compare that to state and nation population* - (approximate & not all inclusive)
STATES WITH LESS THAN 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE?
- Wyoming (528,000),
- Vermont (626,000),
- Washington D.C. (646,000),
- North Dakota (723,000),
- Alaska (735,000),
- South Dakota (844,000),
- Delaware (925,000),
- Montana (1.0 million),
- Rhode Island (1.0 million),
- Maine (1.3 million),
- New Hampshire (1.3 million),
- Hawaii (1.4 million)
NATIONS WITH LESS THAN 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE?
- Saint Martin (40,000),
- Greenland (57,000),
- Bermuda (70,000),
- Netherlands (148,000),
- Barbados (290,000),
- Iceland (319,000),
- The Bahamas (324,000),
- Belize (347,000),
- Fiji (900,000),
- Trinidad (1.2. million),
- Bahrain (1.3 million),
- Swaziland (1.4 million)
- There are 75 nations with less than or equal to total populations compared the the U.S. gang member population.
Gangs Are Not Just an Inner City or Urban Problem
Gang movement to suburban areas can be attributed to several factors including the breakdown of traditional hierarchical gang structures resulting from law enforcement targeting of gang leaders, an abundance of wholesale illicit drug suppliers, and the expectation of high profits from new suburban drug operations.
Other reasons include an effort to expand the gang's influence, expanding drug distribution territories, recruiting new members, hiding from law enforcement, and escaping other gangs. As a result, many suburban and rural communities are experiencing ever increasing gang-related crime and violence because of expanding gang influence.
The movement of gang members to suburban areas result in territorial conflicts between rival gang members and competition for the new territory - suburbia. As gangs grow regionally and nationally, they will continue to meet with resistance by other gangs possibly resulting in drive-by shootings, homicides and other violent crimes - now in suburban communities.
Gang movement to suburban areas can be attributed to several factors including the breakdown of traditional hierarchical gang structures resulting from law enforcement targeting of gang leaders, an abundance of wholesale illicit drug suppliers, and the expectation of high profits from new suburban drug operations.
Other reasons include an effort to expand the gang's influence, expanding drug distribution territories, recruiting new members, hiding from law enforcement, and escaping other gangs. As a result, many suburban and rural communities are experiencing ever increasing gang-related crime and violence because of expanding gang influence.
The movement of gang members to suburban areas result in territorial conflicts between rival gang members and competition for the new territory - suburbia. As gangs grow regionally and nationally, they will continue to meet with resistance by other gangs possibly resulting in drive-by shootings, homicides and other violent crimes - now in suburban communities.
WHAT KINDS OF CRIMES ARE COMMITTED?
- Alien Smuggling
- Armed Robbery
- Assault
- Auto Theft
- Burglary
- Drive-By Shootings
- Drug Trafficking
- Extortion
- Firearms Offenses
- Fraud
- Home Invasions
- Homicide
- Identity Theft
- Insurance Fraud
- Mortgage Fraud
- Murder
- Prostitution Rings
- Robbery
- Theft
- Weapons Trafficking
Historical Threats Towards Law Enforcement
Gangs continue to pose a serious threat to public safety in many communities throughout the United States and in countries around the world.
Here is just a sample of some of the historical reports of direct threats made towards members of the law enforcement and corrections community by gangs and/or gang members. This is not an all inclusive list but just a sampling.
Here is just a sample of some of the historical reports of direct threats made towards members of the law enforcement and corrections community by gangs and/or gang members. This is not an all inclusive list but just a sampling.
