NCJ Number
148415
Date Published
1994
Length
111 pages
Annotation
This study analyzes typical patterns of gang violence and its various configurations, using data obtained from an examination of hundreds of such incidents over a 12-year period; the book also traces the development of a metropolitan police gang unit.
Abstract
The first three chapters present introductory and general materials on gang violence. These chapters set the context for the rest of the book and provide an overview of gang violence patterns. The next three chapters examine the major forms of gang violence. These are drive-by shootings, "gangbangs," and other types of gang violence such as robberies, extortion, assaults, and rape. Three other chapters examine the various gang styles in terms of their ethnic makeup. Just as there are different types of gang violence, there are also different types of gang styles, and the styles tend to be associated with the ethnic groups who compose the gangs. One chapter addresses the police response to gangs. Police strategies typically focus on proactive intervention and the documentation of gang members. Intervention takes the form of attacks on gang sources of income and the intensification of a police presence in gang neighborhoods. Overall, however, most police work with gangs is reactive, in that police options are limited unless gangs break the law. Appended description of research methods, 75 references, and a subject index