Gang Awareness
and Issues
PWC Neighborhood Services
Neighborhood Conference
24 October, 2014
What We Will Cover
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Gang data
Main PW Gangs
Why they join
Gang mentality
Indicators
Current trends
Some things you can do
Definition of a gang
3 or more
 Have a common identity: identifiable
sign, symbol, name
 Ongoing
 Some connection to
crime
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Some Data
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1.4 million active street, prison and
OMG members (National Gang Intel. Center- 2011
Nat. Gang Threat Assessment)
33,000 gangs
 1,100 in PWC PD gang data base –
1,500
 790 MS in NOVA
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Main PW Gangs- 2013
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Southside Locos (SSL)
Sur 13
MS 13 (Mara Salvatrucha)
18th Street
Bloods – 55 MOB, Killa Hill, Dub-T Hunnies, 202 MOB
Crips
Locos Malditos
Black Heart Mafia
Brown Pride Mafia
La Clica Original ( LCO-PPL)
Gangster Disciples
Folk
Dub T
Active PWC Gangs, Cliques
& Sets
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420 Crazy Crew
Team Live
41 Zone
New East Coast
Hot Boi Nation
Alpha
C4
Current Trends
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Increasing engagement in nontraditional gang related crime
Human trafficking
 Prostitution
 White collar crime
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• Counterfeiting
• Identity theft
• Mortgage fraud
Current trends
Less emphasis on openly
representing the gang in public
 More emphasis on making money
 More emphasis on putting in work
 Rival gangs cooperating to make
money
 MDTO connections/ increased
violence“Current gang scene here is
about money, drugs, and how not to
be seen” CGIA meeting, 3/13/2013
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Why Kids Join Gangs
To belong to a group and have fun and
excitement
 Identity and sense of belonging
 Structure, Discipline, Reputation
 Source of respect, acceptance
 Peer pressure “My friends are in a gang”
 Financial gain
 Protection
 Born into
Gang Membership Provides
Positive reinforcement, and a sense of belonging,
direction and degree of self-confidence
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The Push Toward Gangs
Self- Recruitment
Popular Culture – The “Cool Factor”
 Early 90’s, gang culture replaced
youth culture
 A product of the American streets
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The Push Toward Gangs
Mother to 10 year old, “Do you know
what gangs do?
 10 year old, “They shoot and beat
people up.”
 Mother, “So why do kids join gangs?”
 10year old, “Because its cool!”
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“Running
from
something, running
toward something”
Gang Mentality
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Three R’s
Reputation
 Respect
 Revenge
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“Sense of Fatalism”
Risk Factors/Predictors
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Low self-esteem
Prior delinquency
Association with
delinquent peers
Family/community
instability
Lack of parental
supervision/role
models
Economic
disadvantage
General lack of
connectedness to
school and
community
Who They Recruit
Marginalized youth
Needy, vulnerable kids
Low self-esteem
Followers
Those who demonstrate they possess
requisite skills