NCJ Number
134130
Date Published
1991
Length
106 pages
Annotation
This study examines the impact of gang violence on a police department that will serve an emerging, urbanized city by the year 2000.
Abstract
A survey of 23 California police agencies that serve an emerging, urbanized area revealed that all have gangs in their cities; 13 of those cities reported that the gangs were in an emerging state. Followup interviews showed that gangs are moving out of the larger metropolitan areas into smaller cities. The following issue-related trends are forecast: the level of cooperation between agencies regarding enforcement will decrease by the year 2000; the amount of time spent by field officers on gangs will increase; the availability of funding to address gangs will decrease; the incidents of gang-related violence will increase on school campuses over the next 5 years; and community education programs on gangs presented by the police will increase. Predicted events are gang-related drive-by shooting at a school, the regionalization of gang-violence enforcement, gangs united with agreed-upon territories, school-district demands for a full-time police presence on campuses, and increased gang-related calls for service. A strategic plan is developed for the model city of Fremont. Recommended policies include the establishment of a regional gang enforcement task force, assignment of police officers to school campuses, introduction of a gang curriculum to the schools, establishment of a community liaison group, and a graffiti eradication program. Following a discussion of transition management policies for addressing trends in the gang problem, this report offers recommendations for how police should deal with the gang problem. The focus is on the development of a communitywide strategy. Appended supplementary material and questionnaire, extensive figures, 8 references, and a 40-item bibliography