NCJ Number
207948
Date Published
September 2004
Length
47 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Joint County Gang Prevention Task Force, representing Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, MD.
Abstract
The Joint County Gang Prevention Task Force was created to address the growing gang activity that spans jurisdictions in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The gang problem in this region is described, with approximately 3,600 gang members of 9 major active gangs and more than 100 crews, gangs, and cliques active in the greater Washington Metropolitan region. In recent years, gang activity has spanned several jurisdictions, most notably, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, prompting the call for cross-jurisdictional cooperation in addressing the increasing gang problem. The structure and operation of the Joint Task Force is described, followed by a review of the work conducted by the three main Task Force Subcommittees: Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression. The specific charges to each subcommittee are reviewed followed by their key recommendations, which include guiding principles, general recommendations, and specific recommendations for intervention, prevention, and gang suppression. The principles that serve as a foundation for the recommendations include: (1) by addressing the gang involvement problem, communities can also address related issues faced by youth and their families; (2) all prevention, intervention, and suppression programs must be culturally sensitive and reflect the diversity of the community they serve; and (3) all programs must also be evidence-based and include evaluation processes. Appendixes, maps, references