| The 1996 National Law EnforcementGang Analysis Survey:A Preliminary ReportCO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:George W. Knox, Ph.D.Thomas F. McCurrie, M.S.John A. Laskey, M.S.Edward D. Tromanhauser, Ph.D. RESEARCH ASSOCIATES:Mary Chambers, B.S.Antionette M. Grady, B.S.Robert A. Moon, B.S.Gerald M. Ashe, B.S.Edward Sullivan, B.S.Millicent D. Lewis, B.S., M.S.Emile J. Spearman, B.S.Adaku Nwaogwugwu, B.S.Franklin C. Ugoka, B.S.RESEARCH ASSISTANTS:Debra MitchellLatonya Richmond AbstractIn Spring 1996 a strict random sample of 1,000 policechiefs were sent a mail questionnaire. Some N = 283 responded from 48 states.The research reported here estimates that the total gang population inthe United States today is approximately 1.5 million, far above FBI andother federal research estimates of the scope and extent of the gang problemin America. The gang problem has expanded considerably since 1992 is anothermajor finding of this research. Half of the police departments (58.8%)first recognized the gang problem hitting their cities in the time frameof 1992 to present. Computer technology for tracking gang members as wellas gang training for police officers lags behind the rising gang problem.Frustrated, about a fourth of American cities have now passed local ordinances,and about half report gang dress code restrictions in their local publicschools. Gang members account for an average of 10.6 of all crime and 18.5percent of all juvenile crime in American cities today. Asked to give electedfederal leaders a "report card" grade for combatting gangs since 1992,these local law enforcement officials gave a grade of D-minus regardingsuch crime fighting success regarding the American gang problem. A widerange of other gang problems, issues, and policies are discussed in thereport.INTRODUCTIONThe research reported here is a replication and refinementof previous research by the National Gang Crime Research Center (NGCRC).One of the most productive areas of research involves using the municipalpolice department and the city or local municipality as the unit of analysis.When surveying a police department the data therefore reflects either theexperience of the police department personnel or the problems of the cityin which the department has jurisdiction.The NGCRC has a long and productive history of criminaljustice agency research such as that reported here. This research and servicedates back to 1990. The research itself is probono, no one is paid forthe work. The service comes in to play by the fact that the first personsto be educated about the results of the research are the respondents: thepolice agencies themselves. In the research/service model of knowledgedevelopment used by the NGCRC, providing free full reports of the researchto criminal justice agency respondents, in a non-technical and easy tounderstand format, and in a timely manner so that the results are meaningfulas feedback to local areas of the U.S.A, is a hallmark of the success ofsuch projects over the years.METHODOLOGYThe research reported here involves a mail questionnaireresearch strategy. The survey questionnaire contains mostly forced-choicequestions. The instrument was pre-tested on a small focus group of policeofficers, no items were found to be ambiguous or excessively complex inlanguage level.The sampling strategy involved a straight-forward strictrandom sampling of municipal police departments in the United States. Thisinvolved assigning numbers to every municipal police department in theU.S.A., and then selecting every tenth agency as the mailing sample. Theuniverse is therefore every city, large or small, and does not focus simplyon larger cities. Much of the federally funded research along the samelines has been limited to larger urban areas. Large urban areas have alwayshad gang problems, the gang problem is not new to urban areas. Where wereally need more national information for policy and analysis purposesis in smaller jurisdictions, small towns and rural areas particularly.The advantage of a strict random sample is that the resultsare generalizable to American society as a whole, and not just to largerurban areas.During the spring of 1996, some N = 283 municipal policedepartments responded to the mail questionnaire project. This is thereforeapproximately a 25 percent return rate, which is more than acceptable fora mail questionnaire project where no follow-up calls were made.The responding agencies have been provided with a freecopy of this journal and therefore are receiving this report as we promisedin a timely fashion.RESULTS OF THE 1996 LAW ENFORCEMENT SURVEYIn presenting the results of the 1996 Law EnforcementGang Analysis Survey it is important to note that the questionnaire includesnot just questions about gangs, but it also includes a host of other interestingpolicy questions. All of the questions involve law enforcement issues,or issues about which a law enforcement viewpoint is relevant. Thus, theway the results have been organized is to first present what might be considered"background" characteristics describing the sample. The analysis then proceedsto the "gang issues". Finally, "other policy issues" are analyzed.BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAMPLEOnly two states did not respond the survey: Hawaii andWest Virginia, both of which are known from previous NGCRC research tonot be immune to the American gang problem. We have no explanation forthe lack of cooperation from agencies in Hawaii or West Virginia. We have,however, decided that education is an important duty in gang research ofthis sort, and therefore we have sent a copy of this same journal to everymunicipal police department in Hawaii and West Virginia, as well as toother officials in these two states. Whatever reason there was a "slowdown" or a kind of "19 Paul" code response to the survey we may never know,and it is not appropriate to speculate about here.The size of the populations of the city, town, or jurisdictionranged from as small as 325 to as high as 1,500,000. However, as is alsocommon to actual American law enforcement, our sample similarly reflectsthat about half of the respondents (52%) are agencies with a jurisdictionthat contains a population of 10,000 or less. Thus, "small town" Americais appropriately represented in this national sample.The size of these municipal police departments similarlyreflected the American diversity of population sizes. The number of full-timesworn personnel in the police departments in this sample ranged from aslow as "1" sworn officer (the one cop town) to as high as 761 police officers.Again reflecting the fact that this sample contains many smaller townsand municipalities in the USA, about half of the responding agencies (52.7%)had 20 or less full-time sworn police officers.In the present sample, there were a total of 13,616 swornfull-time police officers and a total of 1,097 sworn part-time officersemployed by the departments surveyed.The zip code of the responding agency was included inthe survey data. This showed the same large range as might be expectedin a strict random sample. The only two "missing spots" were the zip codesfrom Hawaii and West Virginia. The overwhelming majority of the agencies(95.2%) gave permission to use the zip code or geographic identifier ofthe responding agency in the analysis and reporting of results. So fewwere "hiding" their problems.Almost all (97.1%) wanted a full copy of the preliminaryreport of the research that was promised to be available at no charge bythe NGCRC.FINDINGS ON GANG ISSUESA focus on gang issues was the primary thrust of the study.These results provide a more complete picture of the scope and extent ofthe American gang problem than some previous studies. Hopefully, by buildingon previous findings and extending the analysis further to new areas ofconcern, these findings will help clarify what needs to be done in thefuture.Two-Thirds Report a Gang Problem in their JurisdictionThe first question on the survey asked "Are youth gangsa problem in your jurisdiction". Two thirds (68.9%, N = 193) of all jurisdictionssurveyed now report a gang problem. What is important to also mentionis that among the 31.1 percent of the agencies that indicated they do nothave a youth gang problem in their jurisdiction, an analysis showed thatthese were not exactly "gang free" areas. In otherwords, the 31.1 percentare apparently not without gang members or gang crime. The analysis thereforesuggests the need to assume that 68.9 percent is a conservative estimateof the extent of the gang problem in American municipalities today.The "two-thirds" estimate is considered a conservativeor underestimate of the true extent of the gang problem for several reasons.First, among those 31.1 percent who reported they did not have a gang problem,a fifth of these had a score of 10 on the denial scale; thus, "no gangproblem" for them was probably the official position imposed by local governmentofficials. Also, if we simply define "having a gang problem" as expandingto include any of the crime patterns (violence, drug sales, graffiti, etc)that youth gangs cause in the jurisdiction, or if there has been outsidegang influence in the jurisdiction, or if a specific year was given forthe appearance of gangs in the jurisdiction, or if ten or more gang membersare reported as existing in the jurisdiction, or if there has been a "gangdisturbance" in the local public schools in the last year --- if we define"gang problem" by these terms, the percentage jumps up to 86.9 percentof local law enforcement agencies "have a gang problem".So we will use the conservative figure of 68.9 percent,but we know as well the figure is probably closer to 90 percent if we defineit more objectively in terms of what defines a local gang problem.Half Indicate Gangs are a Minor ProblemAmong those who answered "yes" to the question "are youthgangs a problem in your jurisdiction", a follow-up question asked the respondingagencies to rate the seriousness of the problem. Only 7.1 percent ratedthe gang problem as a "major problem". Some 37.8 percent rated it as a"moderate problem". About half (55.1%) rated the gang problem as a "minorproblem".Less Than One Out of Five Use a Statewide ComputerDesigned to Track Gang MembersThe survey asked "does your agency use a statewide computersystem that is specifically designed to track gang members". Only 17.3percent of the respondents (N = 48) indicated they had this technology.Gang Denial By Community LeadersThe survey asked the question "to what extent do communityleaders in your jurisdiction deny the gang problem". The response modescale include values between a low of zero (for NO DENIAL) to a high often (for HIGH DENIAL). The results, below, show only a fourth giving arating of absolute zero.Rating: N %NO DENIAL0 68 25.61 18 6.82 11 4.13 19 7.14 26 9.85 31 11.76 20 7.57 22 8.38 16 6.09 10 3.8HIGH DENIAL 10 25 9.4The interesting result in the above distribution is that35 percent of the agency respondents gave a rating of 6 or higher aboutgang denial by community leaders. The mean, or average, rating wasa value of 4.12 on a zero to ten point scale for this variable.Four-Fifths of American Police Departments HaveSeen Outside Gang InfluenceThe survey asked "have you seen gang influence from outsideof your community or jurisdiction". Here some 81.3 percent (N = 222) ofthe agencies did in fact report such outside gang influence.Crime Problems Caused by Youth GangsTwelve separate crime category variables were used toexamine the national trend in local crime problems that can be attributedto youth gangs in the same jurisdiction. These results are provided inTable 1.Table 1Local Crime Problems Caused by GangsCrime Problem Caused by Gangs?By Crime CategoryNO (N) YES (N) % YesViolence 121 162 57.2%Drug Sales 135 148 52.3%Graffiti 106 177 62.5%Burglary 177 106 37.5%Robbery 222 61 21.6%Drive-by shootings 214 69 24.4%Arson 267 16 5.7%Prostitution 276 7 2.5%Car Theft 199 84 29.7%Extortion 264 19 6.7%Retail Theft 217 66 23.3%Criminal Damage to Property 119 164 58.0%As seen in Table 1, in over half of all American municipalitiessurveyed, gangs are involved in the local crime patterns involving thefollowing crime categories: violence, drug sales, graffiti, and criminaldamage to property.Percent of Total Crime Caused by Gang ActivityThe survey asked "please estimate the percent of totalcrime in your jurisdiction that is caused by gang activity". The resultsshowed a distribution ranging from a low of zero percent to a high of 90percent. The overall national mean or average was that 10.6 percent ofall local crime was caused by gang activity.Percent of Juvenile Crime Caused by Gang ActivityThe survey asked the separate question "please estimatethe percent of total juvenile crime in your jurisdiction that iscaused by gang activity". The results showed a distribution ranging froma low of zero percent to a high of 95 percent. The overall national meanor average was that 18.5 percent of all local juvenile crime was causedby gangs.Percent of Crime Caused by Outside Gang InfluenceThe survey asked "please estimate what percent of thecrime in your community/jurisdiction is caused by gangs or gang membersfrom outside of your same area". The results showed a distribution rangingfrom a low of zero percent to a high of 99 percent. The overall nationalmean or average was that 8.4 percent of local crime could be attributedto outside gang influence.Fourth-Fifths Report It is Hard to Get Gang InformantsThe survey asked "in your opinion, is it hard to get gangmembers to be confidential informants". Four fifths of the responding policedepartments (N = 199, 80.2%) reported that it was in fact hard to get ganginformants. We will comment on this issue in the summary and conclusionsection.Year Gangs Were First Recognized as a Local ProblemThe survey asked "in what year did gangs first becomerecognized as a problem in your jurisdiction". An option was provided forthose who did not or who could not provide a "year", they were allowedto indicate "Not yet recognized as a problem". About a third (34.3%) overallindicated that gangs were not yet recognized as a problem", that does notmean gangs are not a problem, it simply means they are not recognized assuch a problem.The data on when gang problems first became recognizedin these jurisdictions is easy to summarize.Year The Gang Problem First RecognizedOn or before 1987: 12.6%1988-1991 33.6%1992 12.1%1993 11.0%1994 14.8%1995 12.1%1996 3.8%This shows that 53.8% of the police departments recognizinga gang problem for this item indicated that the gang problem was firstrecognized during the time frame of 1992 to present!Pre-Service Training Lags Behind The Extent of theProblemThe scope and extent of the gang problem significantlysurpasses the current training capability regarding manpower resourcesin law enforcement on the issue of dealing with gangs. While 68.9 percentof the responding municipal police departments reported a definite gangproblem, only 58.5 percent reported that their police officers receivetraining in "gang awareness" or in handling gang problems.In-service training comes closer to providing a better"fit" with the size of the gang problem. Some 74.4 percent of the respondentsindicated their officers receive in-service training on gang awareness.Level of Cooperation With Federal Agencies in GangCasesThe survey asked the responding local law enforcementagencies to rate the level of cooperation they get with gang cases fromfederal agencies (FBI, BATF, DEA, and INS). The results were as follows:Low Medium HighFBI 52.1% 26.6% 21.4%BATF 58.0% 22.9% 19.1%DEA 58.1% 26.7% 15.2%INS 69.2% 18.9% 11.9%Total Gang Member PopulationThe survey asked the responding agencies to estimate thetotal core and periphery gang membership in their jurisdiction. Data onthis variable was available for N = 229 jurisdictions. The results rangedfrom a low of zero such local gang members to a high of 6,000 gang members.Overall, a grand total sum of N = 34,506 gang members were indicated inthis sample.The way to put the local gang member population into amore meaningful perspective is in comparison with two other variables:(1) the total number of sworn police officers in the same jurisdiction,and (2) the total civilian population in the same jurisdiction.First, gang members outnumber municipal police officersby a factor of 2.3 to 1 is the finding of this research. This is very muchconsistent with previous research results along the same lines by the NGCRC.Secondly, gang members in relationship as a componentof the overall civilian population gives additional and interesting insightinto the size of the gang member population in the USA today. Gang membersin this sample constituted .005 percent of the overall civilian population.Thus, about 5 in every 1,000 civilians is a gang member is another wayof expressing this finding. Given the extent to which large urban areaslike Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles were not represented in the currentsample, and rather the random sample does in fact contain many smallertowns and cities instead, it is reasonable to assume this figure of nationalgang density in the civilian at-large population (this excludes the numberof gang members in prison, conservatively estimated to be 20% in the 1995national survey of prison wardens, however the mean for juvenile facilitiesis closer to 50%) is also a conservative estimate.If we extrapolate this parameter of .005 percent to theoverall U.S. census population, we get an estimate of over a million gangmembers in the U.S. today that are on the streets. Add another 200,000known to be in correctional custody, and we get the figure of about 1.5million for the best estimate of the total American gang population in1996. This is far above FBI estimates and previous federally funded gangresearch.About Half of the Cities Report an Increase in GangGraffiti in the Last YearThe survey asked "have you noticed an increase in ganggraffiti or tagging in the last year". Some 49.3 percent indicated thatthey had in fact noticed an increase in gang graffiti or tagging in thelast year.Half Report Gang-Dress Code Prohibitions at LocalSchoolsThe survey asked "to your knowledge, are certain colorpatterns or modes of dress identified as gang related prohibitedin local public schools". Some 50.7 percent indicated that such gang-dresscode prohibitions now existed in public schools in their jurisdiction.A Fourth of All American Municipalities Have NowPassed Laws Specifically Aimed at GangsThe survey asked "has your city/county jurisdiction passedany laws recently that are specifically aimed at gangs (e.g., curfew, etc)".The results show that 28.3 percent of the responding law enforcement agenciesreport that such local ordinances and laws have recently been passed aimedspecifically at gangs. Thus, about a fourth of all American communitieshave had a serious enough concern about gangs to enact local ordinances.Few Local Police Departments Have Produced PublicBrochures About GangsThe survey asked "has your Department produced any publiceducation brochures or pamphlets related to gangs". Only 16.8 percent ofthe police departments indicated they had in fact produced such publicbrochures about gangs.Over Half Report Outside Gang ContactsThe survey asked "have gang members recently made eventemporary visits (of at least a few days, for whatever reasons) to yourcommunity/jurisdiction". Some 57.7 percent indicated that such outsidegang contacts had occurred recently. Two follow-up questions were usedas well. The first asked "if yes, were any of these gang members from Chicago",and 38.9 percent reported Chicago as the origin for outside gang contacts.The second question asked "if yes, were any of these gang members fromLos Angeles", and here 38.8 percent indicated "yes". So, Chicago and LosAngeles are about equal in terms of the source or origin for common outsidegang influences.Beliefs About the Origin of Local GangsThe survey asked "which do you believe accounts for mostof the gang problem in your area of the United States: ___the gangs aroseby normal residential relocation and local genesis, or ___the gangs aroseby deliberate migration of gangs into new areas". Some 63.1 percent indicatedthe first option: gangs arose by normal residential relocation and localgenesis. Some 39.9 percent expressed the belief, however, that gangs aroseby deliberate migration.Two Thirds Have Seen Cases of the Familial GangTransplant PhenomenonThe survey asked the question about the familial gangtransplant phenomenon as an explanation for gang proliferation. The wordingspelled out in exacting detail what was meant by the question: "have youseen cases where a parent relocates to your area (knowing their child wasinvolved with a gang and perhaps thinking they can simply move away fromthe problem), and basically transplants the gang problem to your area".Some 67.5 percent of the responding law enforcement agencies indicatedthey had in fact seen such cases of the familial gang transplant phenomenon.A Fourth Consider Some of the Gangs in Their AreaAn Organized Crime ProblemThe survey asked "do you consider any of the gangs inyour jurisdiction to be an organized crime problem". Some 28.3 percentindicated they did in fact consider some of the gangs in their area anorganized crime problem.Two-Fifths Report Gangs Are a Problem in Their PublicHousingAmong those who did have public housing in their jurisdiction,other than that for the elderly, some 44.1 percent indicated that gangshave been a problem in these public housing areas.Over Two Thirds Believe The Federal Government ShouldPlay a Greater Role in the Prosecution of Gang CrimesThe survey asked "do you believe the federal governmentshould play a greater role in the prosecution of gang crimes". Some 71percent of the responding local law enforcement agencies did in fact expressthe belief that the federal government should play a greater role in theprosecution of gang crimes.Low Level of Gang Involvement in Local PoliticsThe survey asked "are any gangs in your jurisdiction gettinginvolved with or active in politics". Only 3.1 percent of the respondingcities indicated there were any gangs in their jurisdiction that were gettingpolitically active.Drug Sales, Turf Issues, and Bias Crime: RacialDifferences for Gang InvolvementThree separate questions addressed the matter of racialdifferences for gang involvement in (1) drug sales, (2) turf issues, and(3) bias crime. The survey asked "which type of gang is most active inillegal drug sales in your area". As seen below, the largest single categorywas "all races". The survey asked "which type of gang is most active inturf issues in your area". As seen below, white gang members have a veryrazor edge lead in this regard. Finally, the survey asked "which type ofgang is most active in racial extremism and bias crime in your area". Asseen below, whites clearly lead in this category.Black Hispanic White All RacesIllegal Drug Sales 23.6% 19.1% 22.6% 34.7%Turf Issues 19.8% 26.7% 27.3% 26.2%Bias Crimes 21.3% 14.8% 42.6% 21.3%Gangs Considered Forms of Organized CrimeThe survey asked "do you feel any of the following gangscould be considered forms of organized crime" and the respondents wereinstructed to "check all that apply". The results for six specific gangcategories showed the following results:Percentage Who Considered These Gangs Forms of OrganizedCrimeType of Gang % Feel it is a Form of O.C.Crips 64.0%Bloods 60.7%Gangster Disciples 53.9%Vice Lords 43.9%Latin Kings 51.7%Aryan Brotherhood 58.8%Only Half Report the Gang Members in their Areaare Predominantly Racial and Ethnic MinoritiesThe survey asked "are the gang members in your area predominantlyracial and ethnic minorities". Some 52.6 percent indicated "yes". Thus,47.4 percent indicated "no". The conclusion is clear: only half reportthe gang members in their areas are predominantly racial and ethnic minorities.Only About a Fifth Have A Specialized Gang UnitHaving a specialized gang unit to handle gang problemsis a factor of modern police organization and management: new problemsrequire new solutions. However, having a gang unit per se is often an aspectof organization available only to medium sized to larger police departments.Not surprisingly, only 18.2 percent of the responding law enforcement agenciesreported that they had specialized gang units to handle gang problems.Most Believe Some Gangs Can MigrateThe survey asked "do you believe some gangs can migrateto jurisdictions such as your own". Obviously, there are some specializedgangs that may fit this profile. Not surprisingly, 96.4 percent of therespondents did believe some gangs can migrate.Over Half Attribute Some of Their Gang Problem toMigrationThe survey asked "do you believe any of the gang problemin your jurisdiction is due to gang migration". Here 59 percent indicatedthat some of their local gang problem can be attributed to gang migration.Less Than a Third Have a Strategic Plan to DealWith GangsThe survey asked "does your Department have a strategicplan for dealing with youth gangs". The results show that only 30.2 percentof the responding agencies had a strategic plan for dealing with gangs.The Gang Problem Arising Out of Migration or ContagionEffectThe survey asked "please estimate to what extent the gangproblem in your area arose because of gang migration (i.e., outside gangscoming into your area to develop their own local franchises or local chapters)",where the response modes varied from a low of zero (for NOT A FACTOR) toa high of ten (for MAJOR FACTOR). The mean, or average score, was 3.2 ona zero to ten point scale for this factor.Another question asked "please estimate to what extentthe gang problem in your area arose because of the 'copy cat' phenomenon(i.e., youths who use names of national groups without really having tiesto the same groups in other areas)", and again the same response mode systemwas used (0-10). The mean, or average score, was 5.0 on a zero to ten pointscale for this variable.Nearly a Fourth Report Hate Group Crime ProblemsThe survey asked "do you feel that hate groups (KKK, neo-nazis,skinheads, etc) are a crime problem in your area". Some 23.9 percent ofthe respondents, nationally, did in fact report such hate group crime problems.A Fifth Report Motorcycle Gang ProblemsThe survey asked "do you feel that motorcycle gangs area crime problem in your area". A fifth of the national sample (20.9%) reportedthat they did feel that motorcycle gangs are a crime problem in their area. The Spread of the "Better Growth and Development"GD Front ProblemGangs use a number of political front or public relationsgimmicks to portray themselves as something other than a gang. The ideais to give the image of "do gooders" for the "hood" or community. Thisis helpful to the gang in a number of ways: to build political power, tocool off "heat" from law enforcement investigations, to silence good citizenswho may otherwise want to cooperate with law enforcement and gang prosecution,etc.On January 24th, 1994 Wallace "Gator" Bradley, the politicalfront group representative for Larry Hoover's Gangster Disciple gang, wasat the top of his image polishing in terms of public relations for theGDs. Gator Bradley on 24 January 1994 was able to meet personally face-to-facewith President Bill Clinton in the oval office of the White House. A photographshows Gator wearing his hat while face-to-face with President Clinton (seeChicagoTribune, Friday, Feb. 18, 1994, section 2, p. 6). According to onesource Gator actually had the audacity to introduce himself to PresidentClinton as representing a group called "Better Growth and Development".One this is certain: the spread of gang public relationsgimmicks is on the increase. The 1996 survey therefore asked the question"have any gang members in your jurisdiction used the phrase Growth andDevelopment or Better Growth and Development to refer to theGangster Disciples or Black Gangster Disciples respectively". Some 10.6percent of the respondents, nationally, did in fact indicate that thisgang phenomenon had now hit their jurisdictions. Some 13 different statesindicated this Chicago-based phenomenon had now spread to their local jurisdictions(Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin)!Most Municipal and Local Law Enforcement AgenciesDo Believe in Gang PreventionThe survey asked "do you think that programs could beeffective in preventing kids from getting involved in gangs". The responsewas very strongly in favor of gang prevention. Some 93.1 percent of therespondents did in fact believe in gang prevention.Job Opportunities, Strict Enforcement, and DrugPrevention: Their Role in Solving the Gang ProblemThree separate questions sought to evaluate the role thatjob opportunities, strict enforcement, and drug prevention played in developinga solution to the gang problem.The first question asked the respondent to agree or disagree(strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)with the statement "job training and employment opportunities are the bestsolution to the gang problem". The results showed that some 53.3 percenteither strongly agreed or agreed to this idea.The second question asked the respondent to agree or disagreewith the statement "strict law enforcement is the best solution to thegang problem". Here some 66.4 percent either strongly agreed or agreedto this idea.The third question dealt with the statement "gang problemscan be prevented by means of effective drug prevention and drug education".Here Some 44.9 percent either strongly agreed or agreed with this idea.Over Half Believe Social Workers Can Play an ImportantOutreach RoleThe survey asked "do you think social workers can be effectivein reaching out to persons who might want to quit the gang". Some 62.5percent did in fact believe that social workers could play an importantrole in this regard.Nearly Two-Thirds Believe Social Workers Can BeEffective in Primary Gang Prevention RolesThe survey asked "do you think social workers can be effectivein helping kids stay out of gangs". Here some 65.1 percent of the law enforcementagencies in the national sample indicated that they do in fact believesocial workers can be effective in this primary gang prevention role.It is Unanimous: Gang Members Like Seeing Themselveson the NewsThe survey asked "do you think that gang members likeseeing themselves on the news". Some 96 percent of the responding law enforcementagencies indicated they do believe that gang members like seeing themselveson the news.Three-Fourths Agree: Less Mass Media Attention toGangs Would Mean Fewer People Joining GangsThe survey asked "do you feel that if less attention wasgiven to gangs on television, in newspapers, and in movies that fewer peoplewould join a gang". The results indicated that three-fourths (77.7%) ofthe law enforcement agencies in this national survey did in fact acceptthis thesis: less media attention to gangs would mean fewer people joininggangs.Three-Fourths of Local Police Agencies Believe thata Very Aggressive Gang Suppression Policy Could Reduce the Gang Crime Problemin Their AreaThe survey asked "do you believe that a very aggressivegang suppression policy by your agency could substantially reduce the gangcrime problem in your area". Three-fourths (75.2%) of the responding policeagencies did in fact agree that a very aggressive gang suppression policycould substantially reduce the local gang crime problem they faced.Strategies Used By Local Police Agencies to CombatGang CrimeThe survey asked "which of the following strategies doesyour agency employ to combat gang crime (CHECK all that apply)". Amongthe very top five most commonly used strategies to combat gang crime were:Aggressive patrol (66.2%), DARE (64%), Intelligence gathering (55.4%),Use of confidential informants (43.9%), and Surveillance (43.2%). The mid-rangeof most commonly used strategies included the following five strategies:Foot patrol (32.7%), Meetings between beat officers and the community (32.7%),Multi-jurisdictional task forces (32.4%), Targeting gangleaders (25.9%), and Citizen block clubs (25.5%). Among the least commonlyused strategies to combat gang crime in descending order of use were thefollowing: Covert buy-bust operations (19.8%), Gang tracking computer system(19.1%), Close surveillance of gang probationers (14.0%), GREAT (11.9%),Close surveillance of gang parolees/probationers (11.2%), Gang sweeps (11.2%),Vertical prosecution (9.7%), Formation of citizen patrols (9.4%),Identifyingby name and/or photo in local newspapers gang members who have been arrested(7.9%), Satellite police stations (7.9%), Wanted posters (6.8%), Civillegal actions against gang members (5.0%), Witness protection (4.0%), andfinally least used: Infiltration (1.4%).Most Police Agencies Believe in A Combination ofBoth Prevention and SuppressionThe survey asked "in your opinion, which is the most effectivelaw enforcement strategy for dealing with gang problems: __Prevention __Suppression__Both prevention and suppression". Some 11.7 percent chose preventiononly. Only 4 percent chose suppression only. However, the vast majority(84.3%) chose the combination of "both prevention and suppression".About Four Out of Five Agree: Publicity to GangArrests Benefits the Gang Whose Members Are ArrestedOne theory about gangs and publicity is that gang memberscrave it even when it is negative attention such as their members beingarrested. The theory is that like conflict itself, any attention (goodor bad) gives an image boost to the gang. So the survey looked at thisissue directly.The survey asked the question "do you think that mediaattention to the arrests of gang members (i.e., television or newspapersidentifying the name of arrestee and his/her gang affiliation) is a publicitybenefit to the same gang whose members are arrested". Some 21 percent didnot believe this would be of benefit to the gang. However, 79 percent didin fact believe that such media attention would be a publicity benefitto the gang.Two-Fifths Agree With the Reaction-Formation ThesisThe reaction-formation thesis is that where a gang lackedsolidarity, aggressively police suppression could inadvertently instillor increase gang solidarity. Theoretically, the gang problem is compoundedin this scenario, but it is not a theory that has actually been tested.And all this survey measures is beliefs, it provides no longitudinal testof the issue.The survey asked "do you believe that a very aggressivegang suppression policy by your agency could inadvertently increase thesolidarity of the gang members prosecuted". Some 57.4 percent expressedthe view that no such solidarity would ensue. However, 42.6 percent didbelieve that solidarity might be increased among members in such a situation.The Federal "Report Card" on National Gang ProblemsSince 1992The survey asked "what kind of report card grade wouldyou give elected federal government officials for addressing the nationalgang problem since 1992". Less than one percent (.8%) gave elected federalgovernment officials an "A" for addressing the national gang problem since1992. Only 5 percent gave federal leaders a "B" grade in this regard. So,only 5.7 percent of the overall law enforcement community represented inthis sample gave federal elected officials a high grade (A or B grade)for their performance in addressing the American gang problem since 1992.A full third of the sample (33.6%) gave federal officialsa "C" grade: average.However, 40.1 percent gave federal officials a "D" grade.And 20.6 percent gave federal officials an "F".Overall, the national mean or average grade assigned tofederal elected officials in their "success" of dealing with the nationalgang problem since 1992 was a "grade point average" of 1.25 on a traditional4-point scale (4=A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D, 0=f) which translates to an unimpressivelylow grade (i.e., a "D-minus"). The only conclusion one can possibly makefrom these findings is that the real "troops" out in the trenches of Americancities fighting the war against gang crime --- the several hundred localand municipal police departments in 48 states that responded to this nationalsurvey --- are not very impressed with the crime-fighting performance ofthe federal government during the last four years regarding the gang problemin America today.Gang Owned Business EnterprisesThe large national study of the economic function andstructure of American gangs by the National Gang Crime Research Center(Project GANGECON, 1995) showed that some of the more organized gangs,and even those with regular sources of large illegal income from drugs,are able to buy and operate what may seem to be legitimate business enterprises.This is a very common and expected gang development in larger urban areaswhere gangs have enjoyed the tenure of existing over a long period of time.The survey therefore asked "has you agency uncovered anygang involvement in local legitimate businesses". Some 9.2 percent of therespondents in 19 states indicated that "yes" in fact gangs had been detectedas being involved in business enterprises in their areas. A follow-up questionasked "if yes, what kinds of businesses (CHECK all that apply"" for a listof commonly used gang fronts for laundering their illegal money in whatare mostly cash-based businesses. Of the 25 respondents who indicated thatgangs had some involvement in local businesses here are the results fortype of business establishments gangs were actually involved in: restaurantsand fast food businesses (N = 8), pool halls (N = 6), gang rooms and videoarcades (N = 7), car washes (N = 6), taverns (N = 5), car repair businesses(N = 8), dance clubs (N = 8), beeper and cellular phone stores (N = 6),jewelry stores (N = 1), and auto paint and body stores (N = 9). Obviously,some of these types of businesses work well in mixing legitimate businesswith crime as well.An additional and separate question was addressed to outsidegang influence in regard to gang-involved business enterprises. The surveyasked "has your agency found any evidence of legitimate businesses beingcontrolled by gangs from outside of your own community". Here, only 3.6percent (N = 10) of the respondents indicated such outside gang controlof local business enterprises.Most Believe in Zero Tolerance for GangsThe survey asked the respondents to agree/disagree withthe statement "a zero tolerance policy is the best approach for dealingwith gangs and gang members". Some 85.8 percent of the respondents eitherstrongly agreed or agreed to this statement.Gangs: Social Problem or Law Enforcement Problem?The survey asked the respondents to agree/disagree withthe statement "gangs and gang members are a social problem and not primarilya law enforcement problem". Some 30.5 percent either strongly agreed oragreed. Some 18.5 percent indicated "neither agree or disagree". But 32percent disagreed and another 18.9 percent strongly disagreed. Thus, 50.9percent disagreed or strongly disagreed with the idea that gangs and gangmembers were primarily a social problem and not a law enforcement problem.Three-Fourths Report Female Involvement in LocalGangsThe survey asked "are females also involved in the gangsin your area". Some three-fourths (74.7%) of the respondents indicatedthat females were in fact also involved in the gangs in their local gangs.A separate follow-up question asked "if yes, estimatewhat percentage of the total gang member population in your jurisdictionare females". The results ranged from as low as zero percent to 50 percent.But the mean, or average, was that 11.4 percent of the gang members nationallywere females.Half of the Cities Report Gang Disturbances in SchoolsDuring the Last YearThe survey asked "have there been any gang disturbancesin the public schools in your area in the last year". Some 51.1 percentof the responding cities did in fact report that there had been gang disturbancesin the public schools in their cities during the last year.Over Two-Thirds Believe Politicians Want Law EnforcementAgencies to Downplay or Deny the Gang ProblemThe survey asked "do you believe that some politicianswant law enforcement agencies to downplay or even deny the gang problem".Some 69.5 percent of the respondents did in fact believe that politicianswant the police to downplay or deny the gang problem.A Fourth Report Asian Gangs or Asian Gang Membersin Their AreasAsian gangs and Asian gang members are obviously not limitedto large urban areas any more. But most research on gangs of this type(i.e., agency research) has not tracked the Asian gang problem. The 1996survey did include this variable.The survey asked "have any Asian gangs or Asian gang membersbeen active in your jurisdiction". Some 25.5 percent of the respondinglaw enforcement agencies did in fact report Asian gangs or Asian gang membersin their cities.Asian gangs or Asian gang members are geographically dispersedand showed up in 28 different states (AK, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA,ID, IL, LA, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, WA,and WI).Rare for Gangs to Be Active in PoliticsThe survey asked "have any gangs become active in politicsin your jurisdiction". Only 1.8 percent of the respondents indicated thatgangs had in fact become active in politics in their jurisdiction.Rare for Politicians to Be Sympathetic to GangsJust like gangs being active in politics, we know it occursin large urban centers like Chicago, just as it is not uncommon in someareas for politicians to be sympathetic to gangs. But our findings indicatethat overall, that is from a national perspective, this is still a rarepolitician who is sympathetic to gangs.The survey asked "are any politicians sympathetic to gangsin your jurisdiction". Only 5 percent of the respondents indicated thatany politicians were sympathetic to gangs in their areas.About a Fourth Report Their Agency Has a Gang PreventionProgramThe survey asked "does your agency currently have a gangprevention program". Some 24.7 percent reported their agency does in facthave a gang prevention program. FINDINGS ON OTHER POLICY ISSUESCrime Attributable to Non-Residents of the SameCommunityThe survey asked "please estimate what percent of allarrests in the last year were of non-residents of your community or yourjurisdiction". This is the "outsider did it" phenomenon. The results showeda distribution ranging from a low of zero percent to a high of 100 percent.The overall national mean or average was that 36.1 percent of all localcrime could be attributed to such outsiders or non-residents.Local Economic IndicatorThe survey asked the local police department chiefs to"rate the extent to which you believe your jurisdiction is economicallydeclining (e.g., loss of jobs, etc) or improving". The response modes includeda range of values between a low of zero (for DECLINING) to a high of 10(for IMPROVING). The overall national mean or average for this local economicindicator was a value of 6.0 on a 0 to 10 point scale.Political Influence on the Law Enforcement FunctionThe survey asked "do you believe that local politicianshave influence on local law enforcement agencies". Most (87.9%) indicatedthat they do believe there is political influence on the law enforcementfunction.Two-Fifths Report A Correctional Institution inor Near Their CommunityThe survey asked "is any state or federal correctionalinstitution located in or very near your community". Some 43.5 percentindicated having a correctional institution in or near their community.Few Report Political Corruption is a Big Problemin their AreaThe survey asked "to what extent is political corruptiona problem in your jurisdiction (Check one rating, higher the number higherthe problem, lower the number the lower the problem)", and response modesfrom a low of zero (NOT A PROBLEM) to a high of ten (A BIG PROBLEM) wereprovided. Some 61 percent gave an absolute rating of zero (NOT A PROBLEM).Only 6.2 percent gave a rating of 6 or higher on a zero to ten point scale.Almost All Would Recommend A Woman As a Successorin Their JobThe survey asked "would you recommend a woman as yoursuccessor if she was qualified for the job". The typical respondent tothe survey was a male police chief. Still, some 96.7 percent would in factrecommend a woman as their successor if she was qualified for the job.Youngest Age Someone Should Qualify for the DeathPenaltyThe survey asked "in your opinion, what is the youngestage at which a person should face the death penalty for a capital offense".The results ranged from a low of 7 years of age to a high of 25 years ofage. However, 75.9 percent gave ages of 16 or under as the age when someoneshould qualify for the death penalty for a capital offense. The mean, ornational average, was 15.4 years of age.About One in Ten Agencies Sued in Last Five YearsThe survey asked "in the last five years, has your agencybeen sued for employment discrimination". The results showed that 11.9percent reported being sued in the last five years for employment discrimination.Brady Bill: Not Generally EffectiveThe survey asked "since the Brady Bill went into effectin early 1994, have you seen fewer illegal firearms among the offendersin your jurisdiction". The results suggest the Brady Bill was a well-intentionedpiece of legislation that was more eye wash than substance when it comesto effectiveness. Some 90 percent of the responding police agencies answeredthe question "NO". Only ten percent reported seeing fewer illegal firearmsamong the offenders in their jurisdiction.Strong Support for Boot Camps (For First Offenders)The survey asked "in your opinion, can boot camps be effectivein reducing continued criminal behavior among younger first offenders".Some 92.4 percent of the respondents did in fact believe that boot campscould be effective in this capacity.Most Expect Violent Juvenile Crime to Increase inthe Next Two YearsThe survey asked "in your opinion, do you expect the numberof violent crimes committed by juveniles to increase or decrease withinthe next two years". Some 81.4 percent expected violent juvenile crimeto increase in the next two years. Only 3.6 percent expected a decrease.And 15 percent felt it would remain about the same as current levels ofviolent juvenile crime.Most View Crack as A Greater Public Safety ThreatThan Powder Forms of CocaineThe survey asked "in your opinion, which kind of drugwould pose the greatest threat to public safety in your jurisdiction".Some 16.7 percent chose "powder cocaine". But most (83.3%) chose "crackcocaine".Most Believe Parents Should Be Held FinanciallyResponsible for Crimes Committed by their ChildrenThe survey asked "do you believe parents should be heldfinancially responsible for crimes committed by their children". Some 12percent did not believe in the idea of holding parents financially responsiblefor the offenses committed by their children. But most (88%) did believeparents should be held financially responsible for crimes committed bytheir children.Half Report an Increase in Arrests for Female OffendersThe survey asked "has your jurisdiction seen an increasein arrests among female offenders in the last one year time period". Some50.4 percent reported such an increase. The other half (49.6%) reportedno such increase.Under Half of the Police Departments Have a Policyof Random Drug Testing for All Sworn OfficersThe survey asked "does your Department have a policy ofrandom drug testing for all sworn officers". Some 57.9 percent said "NO".Some 42.1 percent said "YES".SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONWe now come to summarizing the overall results of thisstudy and providing some commentary where appropriate. Obviously, a hostof issues exist here. While further analysis is expected in the futureon this data, the present report has provided a full descriptive analysisof all basic findings. Some of these findings are worthy of comment here.Overall, these results are largely consistent with intensivestatewide surveys of law enforcement agencies. In 1995, the states of Georgiaand Wisconsin were studied intensively, with many of the same items usedin the present survey. The results are remarkably consistent, suggestingsimilar levels of the gang problem. Thus, the scope and extent of the gangproblem revealed in this report is consistent with other recent researchas well (see Project WISCONSIN95; Project GEORGIA95). Our best estimateis that about three-fourths of all American cities now face some degreeof a local gang problem (i.e., gang members are present, gang disturbancesand/or crimes can be attributed to gang members, etc).One issue is apparently the discrepancy between perceptionand reality when it comes to the difficulty of developing confidentialinformants among gang members. Four-fifths of the police departments reportedthat it was hard to get gang members to be CI's. Research on gang membersshows about a third will flip on their gang, given the right incentive.The research by John Laskey on developing gang CI's may help investigatorsbetter understand this process. The Laskey research will be published inan upcoming issue of this journal.A large issue that emerged in this research was that ofthe estimated gang member population in the United States today. Our estimateis admittedly a "rough" estimate, and using statistical techniques couldcertainly harden it up a little in terms of adjusting for the size of thejurisdiction in relationship to gang density. However, the fact remains:the finding does prompt some attention when the estimate exists that 5of every 1,000 members in the population "at-large" are estimated to begang members nationally. Therefore the national estimate of the true sizeof the American gang population, once we add the 200,000 from the U.S.correctional population, is probably around 1.5 million. This far exceedsany previous estimate including that provided by federal investigativeagencies. Frankly, we are not surprised by this. The FBI is not currentlyrequired in its Uniform Crime Report to statistically isolate gang membersin the arrestee population, so technically there is no statistical responsibilityin the UCR that can address this fundamental issue. Should the FBI's U.C.R.data be changed to reflect a tracking capability for what is obviouslya significant national policy concern? Yes, certainly. Perhaps if we hadsuch basic statistics from the U.C.R. data the findings presented herewould not be surprising.Our data does not support the premise of a strong acrossthe board high level of cooperation that local police departments get regardinggang cases in relationship to the major federal investigative agencies(FBI, BATF, DEA, INS). Over two-thirds (71%) of the responding local policedepartments did express the opinion that there should be a stronger federalinvolvement in the prosecution of gang crime. Many regard some of today'smodern gangs as new forms of organized crime. Greater interagency cooperationand interfacing on basic gang intelligence could be of substantial benefitto local law enforcement agencies.A large number of the American cities represented in thisstudy reported the onset of a gang problem since 1992. Not surprisingly,local police departments are still "gearing up" to confront this problem.Gang training, the use of computer tracking systems, having specializedgang units in the organization, the use of various strategies to suppressthe gang problem --- all lag behind the rapid recent onset of the gangproblem.Finally, there appears to be little merit to the claimthat the federal government in the last four years has had a strong recordof successful leadership in combatting the Nation's gang crime problem.When asked to give a "report card" grade to elected federal officials ontheir success in addressing the gang problem, the national average gradefrom local police chiefs is a D minus.ReferencesProject GANGECON1995 The Economics of Gang Life: A Preliminary ReportofProject GANGECON. Chicago, IL: National Gang CrimeResearch Center.Project GEORGIA951995 Preliminary Results of the Statewide Survey of LawEnforcement Agencies in Georgia. Chicago, IL: NationalGang Crime Research Center and the Chicago Crime Commission.Project WISCONSIN951995 Preliminary Results of the Statewide Survey of LawEnforcement Agencies in Wisconsin. Chicago, IL:National Gang Crime Research Center. CLICK HERETO RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE OF THE NGCRC: |
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