Types of Gangs Operating in the United States - Essay Example

A gang (street gang/youth gang) refers to any organization (formal or informal), association, or group of three or more members whose principal activities involve the commission of felony offences or delinquent acts, and propagation of an environment of fear or intimidation through violence. Members of a gang individually or collectively engage in criminal street gang activity and bear a shared name or symbol such as tattoos and graffiti.

The FBI estimates that some 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs and prison gangs are criminally active within the U.S. with an estimated membership of about 1.4 million. Gangs use violence to control neighbourhoods and sustain their illegal money-making activities such as robbery, fraud, extortion, prostitution rings, and drug and gun trafficking. Gang violence is a significant problem in key U.S. cities whereby gang violence is responsible for almost half of all homicides. There are diverse reasons why people join gangs such as poverty, despair, boredom, and peer pressure.

#1 There are three types of gangs recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and outlined by the National Gang Intelligence Centre; these include national street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle club gangs. A street gang refers to a group of persons, who may or may not claim control over a certain territory within a neighbourhood. Most street gangs exercise their turf and use graffiti to demarcate their boundaries. Prison gangs denote types of gang activity found within prisons and correctional facilities.

Besides protection for their members, prison gangs smuggle contraband such as drugs, tobacco, and alcohol within correctional facilities (Holmes, Tewksbury & Higgins, 2012). An outlaw motorcycle club (motorcycle gang) infers a motorcycle subculture that celebrates ideals such as freedom, deviance (non-conformity to mainstream culture), and allegiance to a biker group. Some members of outlaw motorcycle clubs engage in the perpetration of criminal activities and organized crime. An example of a street gang operating in my neighbourhood is East Side Locos, which is a primarily Latino street gang. 

# 2Law enforcement agencies and the community at large have a significant role to play in eliminating gang activities such as working together and sharing information. Strategies may incorporate anti-violence crime initiatives, parole, corrections, and law enforcement agencies. The goal of prevention and suppression of gang operations should be stopping youths from joining gangs. Communities ought to strengthen families and schools, besides enhancing community supervision to prevent youths from joining gangs (Holmes, Tewksbury & Higgins, 2012).

The bulk of resources geared at reducing gang and youth violence should not be solely invested in arresting and incarcerating gang members. Efforts should be directed at community-based prevention and intervention strategies through community awareness and youth education.