Gang Violence in Charlotte - Research Paper Example

Gang violence in Charlotte al Affiliation) Table of Contents 0 3 Reference 14 0 Gang violence is a global phenomenon of great magnitude. The United State has experience an upsurge in gang activity over the past couple years, particularly due to the rampant immigration (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Most of these gang members are from minority groups that have emigrated from their home country in search of the greener pasture in the United States. Therefore, this paper will provide a research proposal that outlines the various approaches that will be employed in examining the scale of gang violence in Charlotte North Carolina. 2.0 Statement of purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the scale of gang violence in North Carolina particularly in the city of Charlotte. The Governor of the North Carolina has commissioned a number of studies to evaluate the gang activity in the Charlotte. The high unemployment rate among the youths has largely been blamed for the growth of criminal gangs. 3.0 Introduction Over the past quarter a century the American society has experienced an increase in the gang activity. Most of the gang members are young people who are highly prone to peer influence. Numerous studies have acknowledged the significant role that firearm play in perpetuating the menace of gang violence. However, there are few studies that have examined how the accessibility of firearms has facilitated the growth of gang violence. Studies estimate that the state of North Carolina has over 100,000 gang members (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). These statistics are merely estimation since there are no statewide records that accurately depict the numbers of gang members. These figures indicate a growth by approximately 200% of gang activity over the past decade. Due to this upsurge, the State government has been forced to initiate a task force specially dedicated to dealing with the gang menace. Other reports indicate that the gang members are responsible for over 1000 homicides and nearly 10,000 felonies in the city of Charlotte over a period of five years. Other crimes reported to be attributed to gang member include 9000 robberies and nearly 500 rape cases (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). A recent survey that profiled the gang member found out that a significant number of gang members lie with the age bracket of 10-25 years (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). This has greatly worried the policing department as it appeared that gangs were getting younger and aggressive. In Charlotte, gang membership is largely dominated by male. However, there are also female gang member though they play a secondary role in the gangs. Some of the female roles include hiding firearms and drugs, providing sexual gratification to their male counterparts and messengers. 4.0 Brief history Gangs did not grow uniformly in a different part of the US. Serious street gangs date back in the early 1800s in the city of New York. Fifty years later, the Gangs had spread in North Carolina, Chicago, regions in Western Los Angeles. These regions experienced a larger growth in gang-related activities than the New York. The first gang emerged immediately after the end of the America revolution although their criminal activities were seasonal. Serious gangs began to emerge in 1820 in the city of New York (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). This was majorly a result of immigration as immigrants children affected by a cultural collision. Most of the gang members were Asians and Hispanic, particularly from Central and South American countries. In the mid-1900s, the steady rise in population of black immigrants led to the rise of black gangs. The post world war II era also experience a growth of Mexican immigrants who spread across various Northern cities. Latino immigrants formed some of the most violent gangs that terrorized the city neighborhoods. 5.0 Significance of the topic Gang activity has become a global phenomenon and is attributed to a huge of a number of deaths. Scholars have argued that gangs provide a voice to the marginalized members of the society. Therefore, understanding some the social factors responsible for the growth of the gangs is crucial in developing policies that seek to eradicate violence (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Moreover, it will help in eroding the deep-rooted inequalities that are normally catalyzed by the current social, political and economic policies. 6.0 Objective of the study The study seeks to determine the scale of gang violence in the city of Charlotte and its environs. Charlotte is among one of the most affected city in North Carolina by gang crime. The gangs are responsible most of the reported cases of assaults and robbery with the city neighborhood. Therefore, the study will examine social, political and economic issues that perpetuate the growth of these gangs. As earlier mentioned, the gang members are mostly from marginalized communities specifically immigrant from various part of the world. African-American and the Latinos are among the majority groups in most of these gangs. The blacks are often associated with crimes that range from murder to robbery while the Latinos are associated with drug trafficking and murder. However, there are also only white gangs operating in the streets of Charlottes. The White gangs can be easily identifiable by their huge fleet of motorcycles. The study will also explore other reasons for gang formation from a sociological and psychological perspective. Most scholars blame the formation of a gang on the mental, social and physical factors. The sense of self and need for belonging are among the psychological factors that foster the development of gangs. In cities such as Charlotte, children are being brought up in gang family. Children who are raised by neglectful parent join the gangs as early as ten years to seek care and protection (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). 7.0 Research methodology and design 7.1 Design The study will be limited to the gang violence in Charlotte city and its environs. Data will be collected from the GangNET system in Mecklenburg Police Department (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). The study will rely on data from healthcare institution where victims of gang violence seek medical help. The police reports of gang assaults will also be examine to provide an account on the prevalence of gang violence in Charlottes suburban. 7.2 Methodology A qualitative research approach is proposed for this study. A qualitative approach will require a researcher with optimal social skills. Some of the qualitative approaches appropriate for this study include interviews, observation, and examination of past survey. The study will merge three processes, that is, data collection, coding, and analysis. A qualitative approach encourages flexibility since a researcher can modify the line of inquiry to change the direction of the study. This study will also retrieve the necessary data from the on the North Carolina repository system for gang activity referred to as the GangNet system. The system is essentially an online database that is divided into three nodes: the Eastern, Western and Central node. The Eastern node id headquartered in Durham at the offices of the County Sheriff. The Western node is in the Mecklenburg Police Department while the Central node is at the Fusion Center of the State Bureau of Investigation (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). The study will retrieve most of the relevant data from Mecklenburg Police Department. Initially, the GangNet system was developed to help the County Sheriff of Durham County to collect the necessary data of gang activity. The system provides a central database that helped in apprehending the gang members and tackling the gang menace in Durham. The Western node GangNet will help provide an overview of the gang activity in the city of Charlotte (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Previous studies that have explored the issue of gang activity, particularly in Charlotte, relied majorly on surveys carried out by over 300 policing agencies across the state of North Carolina. The surveys contained several inconsistencies and had low-quality responses. Therefore, these studies embarked on relying on standardized information contained in the North Carolina gang repository system. The system provided more accurate information relating to the involvement of the gang members. The studies will also rely on these studies to provide additional information that may have been left out the GangNet (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Most of the previous relied on more than one source to provide an exhaustive overview of the gang menace in Charlotte City. 7.3 Target population Women and children are among the most affected groups by gang violence. Women particularly mothers are greatly concerned about raising their children in an environment that dominated by the gang culture. Statistics indicates that children, particularly between the ages of 10 to 15 years living in a neighborhood dominated by gangs, are highly likely to join the gangs (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Women suffer greatly from gang violence since they are often left behind with an untold amount of suffering upon the death of their spouses or children. This study will collect most of its data pertaining gang violence from women. A questionnaire will be provided to the women participants where they will be required to answer the question they are comfortable with. An enticement of $50 will be provided to the participants. Each participant will be required to fill in the consent form to show that she agrees with the terms of the interview. 7.4 Analysis of GangNet data 7.4.1 Gangs Data collected from the North Carolina GangNET indicate that since the year 2012 over 980 gang related activities have been reported in over 50 counties in North Carolina. 23 cases of gang activity were also reported within the State correction facility (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Charlotte is among the many cities with North Carolina that experienced a high growth rate of gang-related crime.MS-13 is considered as one of the largest gangs in Charlotte comprising of over 150 members (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Among the most affected region in the Charlotte, city includes City Avenue, South Boulevard areas, and Eastway Drive. Graffiti and other street art are spread across most parts of the city. Other gangs within the city of Charlotte include Kings, Crips, Sureno 13, and Bloods. 7.4.2 Gang members Based on the existing data in the GangNet system, the total number of gang members in Charlotte city is approximately 10,650. Out of these 98% are males while the rest are females gang members (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). As the use of the system grew popular, some researchers subscribed to the system and shared additional information from other regions. Therefore, unlike in 2003, currently the system is highly populated. Gang members who have been inactive for the past five years are removed from the system. Therefore, each year the number of confirmed gang members continue to decline. 7.4.3 Age of confirmed gang members A different database exists in which data of juvenile gang members is entered. The North Carolina GangNET does not provide a clear overview of under aged gang member due to public safety issues. The North Carolina Juvenile Online Information (NC-JOIN) indicate that there are approximately 78 gang members aged 15 years and below. 336 are aged between 16 to 17 years, and 6680 are between the age brackets of 18 to 25 years (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). 7.4.4 Ethnicity of confirmed gang members The North Carolina GangNET provides a clear breakdown of the race and ethnicity of the gang members. Approximately 7400 are African American, 2100 are Hispanic, 830 are white, and 120 are Asians. The remaining 130 comprise of other smaller ethnic groups (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). 8.0 Problem The study will encounter a number of challenges particularly relating to data collection and analysis. To understand the issue of gang violence in Charlotte, the study is the inadequacy factual and reliable information on gang activities. A major reason for this is that most of the gang violence in Charlotte goes unreported, or they are taken on a lighter note when reported. This is evidenced by the huge difference between reported assault and the number of victims visiting health care centers. An additional problem that the study is likely to encounter is since knife crime and gang crime are normally mutually inclusive. As a result, this makes the data available on gang violence unreliable. According to police reports, the number of murders in which knives were primarily used increased by over 7% in 2010. On the other hand, Knife assaults increased by approximately 15% (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). 9.0 Ethical considerations Researchers who seek to understand nature of gang violence perpetrated particularly by juvenile members from the North Carolina GangNET should trend with caution. A lot has to be done to understand the motive behind the failure of the law enforcement agencies to update the database of confirmed gang members with little regard to age. The law protecting juvenile gang member appears to inhibit the study of gang violence within the city of Charlotte. According to the law gang, investigators should be in possession of a copy that outline the Attorney General view on the inclusion of juvenile in North American Gang NET (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). Researchers can only rely on the section of the GangNET that contain a low number of juvenile offenders to estimate the level of gang violence in the city of Charlotte. The North Carolina GangNET is an important resource that allows the researchers, law enforcement agencies and community policing groups to estimate the gang activities and their demographics. Therefore, the use of the system by the public should be encouraged. 10.0 Conclusion Charlotte, North Carolina has a higher number of uneducated youth ways above the average for the United States. Most Charlotte Suburban particularly those inhabited by members of minority groups have lower household earning. These factors correlate with the rise in gang violence observed Charlotte as compared to other cities in North Carolina. Charlotte has a high population of people from low socioeconomic status who greatly value the association with gangs. These classes of people often carry firearms and other weapons more frequently that the average person. Past studies have indicated that most gang members try to compensate certain aspect that they were denied while growing up. Gang provides a sense of belong and feel of protection to some who were raised by neglectful parents. Gang violence has become a common phenomenon in most minority neighborhoods. Statistics indicates that over 60% of murders cases reported in these areas are attributed to gang violence (Smith & Furuseth, 2006). North Carolina continues to rank highly among states where residents are frequently victimized and harassed by gangbangers. Most gang crimes in the state, particularly in Charlotte, go unreported due to fear of revenge by gang members. The law enforcement agencies also face a great challenge in tackling the menace of gang violence. Records from a police department in Charlotte indicate that on average a single investigator can build between 60 to 100 cases per year. To prosecute all validated gang violence cases a greater number of investigators is required to be assigned to the gang crime department. This, in turn, translates to the need for the allocation of a larger amount of funding to maintain a higher number of investigators. The allocation of more police funding would help in reducing the cases of gang violence and ridding the society of bad role models. Reference Smith, H. A., & Furuseth, O. J. (2006). Making real the mythical Latino community in Charlotte, North Carolina. Latinos in the New South: Transformations of place, 191-216. Read More