NCJ Number
86430
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 51 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1982) Pages: 12-16
Date Published
1982
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Outlaw motorcycle gangs are often linked to criminal activity and cause police special problems categorized as crowd control, community fear, violence related to territorial battles for club dominance or control over narcotics and vice trade, and crime conspiracies.
Abstract
The frequent migration of motorcycle gang members to rallies requires police agencies to spend time in planning for and controlling these large gatherings. These are also occasions for police intelligence gathering, particularly the identification of fugitives that may be connected with some of the gangs. A pervasive problem is citizens' perception of the dangers posed by gangs. In two cases, citizen concerns stirred action by city and county boards that included charges that the police were afraid to deal with the gangs. Gang rivalry over 'turf' frequently results in violence. A significant aspect of intergang violence is the struggle to dominate an area's lucrative vice and narcotics trade. In the 1970's, a complex interstate network of associations developed between rebel gangs, and this 'brotherhood' provided links for more sophisticated criminal activities. Crime territories were determined, and fixed roles and characteristic ways of doing business evolved. Police penetration of the gangs is hampered by codes of silence demanded of members, gang mobility, and members' extensive use of security precautions. In various parts of the country, the police have identified gang-dominated crime networks involving millions of dollars of narcotics, stolen property, firearms, explosives, and the harboring of fugitives. Reports also indicate that gang members have been involved in murder-for-hire enterprises. Thirty-six footnotes are listed.