Comprehensive Gang Model
Goals of the OJJDP
Comprehensive Gang Model
• Reduce gang violence to restore
community safety
• Improve the capacity of the community, its
institutions, and organizations to prevent,
intervene in, and suppress the youth gang
problem
What do you know about your
community’s gang situation?
The Assessment
Assessment Results Need to Pinpoint
these Program Targets
• Seriously at-risk youth (prevention)
• Gang-involved youth (intervention)
• The most violent gangs and gang leaders
(suppression)
• The areas where gangs hang out and where
crimes occur most often
Key: Gather sufficient information to develop
goals, objectives, and the action plan
People in Police Gang Units and
Neighborhoods May See Gangs
in Different Ways
Actual Gangs Are Sometimes Hard to
See in Communities
Most Gangs Look Like This,
Several Cliques in Social Networks
McGloin.Crips.txt
Source: McGloin, 2005
Gangs and the Youth Population
All Youth
Serious/Violent
Gang Members
Gang Members
A Key Fallacy of the “Big Gang
Theory”—Gangs Migrated Across the
Country
In Reality, Homegrown Gangs
Emerged Most Everywhere
Jurisdictions in the Contiguous States Reporting Youth
Gang Problems in One or More Years, 1999–2001
Source: Egley et al., 2004 © Waveland Press
Challenging the Big Gang Theory
• Most gangs are loosely organized
• There is fluid movement in and out of the gang,
which is more like a social network
• Gang rituals are overstated. Prime example:
Initiations
• The degree of bonding to gangs is exaggerated
• Joining and leaving gangs is not very difficult
• Few adolescents are recruited to gangs by adults
• Local gangs are not connected to big city gangs
Hybrid Gang Culture
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•
•
•
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Mixture of graffiti and symbols (cut and paste)
Less concern over turf or territory
Members of mixed race/ethnicity
Members may belong to more than one gang
Members may switch from one gang to
another
Realities of Serious Violent Gangs in
Large Cities
• These gangs are more criminally active
than other delinquent groups
• They account for a large volume of youth
crime and violence
• Youths increase their criminal and violent
activity while in the gang
• Gangs are typically involved in a wide
variety of crimes.
Why Conduct an Assessment or
Problem Analysis?
• Compile a picture of the problem which is
specific to the community
• Justify taking action
• Take actions most likely to be successful
• Ensure the best allocation of resources
• Establish a bottom line for measuring impact
• Create long-lasting solutions
Normal Human
Planning:
Ready
Fire
Aim
Who Should Be Involved?
• Decision/policy makers
• Line staff who understand the information
• Key Agencies:
– Law Enforcement (Police, County, School)
– Corrections
– Probation/Parole (Juvenile & Adult)
– Schools
– Social Service Agencies
– City/County Government
Assessment Team
• Duties
– Gather data
– Analyze data
– Format/present data
– Inform Steering Committee throughout process
– Prepare Assessment Report
Six General Areas of the Assessment
1) General descriptive and demographic data on the community,
2) The nature and extent of youth violence and gang crime,
3) Characteristics of school students who are involved in or at
risk of involvement in gangs,
4) Community members’ perceptions of the gang problem, and
5) Current and historical responses to the gang problem.
6) Current resources available to deter youth from joining or
assist in leaving gangs
Establishing A Common Language
• Definitions
– Gang
State Law or local definition?
– Gang crime
• Member – Known gang member committed the crime
• Motive – The crime was committed to benefit the gang
– Financially
– Reputation
– Gang member
Youth/Street Gang Definitions
East Coast Gang Investigators Association:
• A group or association of three or more
persons
• who may have a common identifying sign,
symbol, or name, and
• who individually or collectively engage in, or
have engaged in, criminal activity which
creates an atmosphere of fear and
intimidation.
Youth Gang Definitions, cont’d
Researchers generally agree on the following criteria :
• The group must have more than two members,
• generally ages 12-24,
• members must share some sense of identity (commonly
a name),
• must view themselves as a gang & be recognized by
others as a gang,
• some permanence & a degree of organization,
• verbal & nonverbal forms of communication, and
• involvement in an elevated level of criminal activity.
A Good Youth/Street Gang Definition for
Assessment
A group that has a name,
Uses symbols (colors, tattoos, hand signs, jewelry)
Has some permanence in the community,
Is recognized by themselves & others as a gang, &
Is involved in criminal activity.
Gang Member Definition
•
Definitions: An individual is identified as a gang member by confirmation of at least two
(2) of the following identifying criteria:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
He declares membership/participation in a known gang.
He is identified by police/other law enforcement as a gang member.
He is identified by community members as a gang member.
He is identified by school officials/teachers as a gang member.
He has established gang involvement by exhibiting behavior including: regular
associations/communication with known gang members; use of hand signs,
symbols/tattoos; having/disseminating gang related documentation; and has criminal
record for gang activity.
Level 1: The individual is known to be in a gang, but no further information about this individual’s
gang affiliation is known.
Level 2: Is identified as a current member of a gang known to be involved in current (w/in past year)
delinquent/criminal activity, such as: getting into fights with other gangs, stealing things, robbing
other people, selling drugs, damaging/destroying property
Level 3: Is currently a member of a delinquent/criminal gang with characteristics of organization:
rites of initiation, symbols/colors designating affiliation, established leadership, rules and expected
behavioral norms.
Level 4: Is currently a member of a gang that is delinquent and organized, is known to participate in
both criminal and organizational activities, and one that the individual has told the referring agency
that he is a core member of.
What Information Can You Collect?
• Demographics
– Changes in the past 10 years
– Where? Census Bureau, www.censusbureau.gov
• Police
– Incident reports
• gang versus non-gang in selected categories
• Demographics of victims and suspects.
– Gang information/intelligence
• What gangs are active? What is their membership? What crimes are
they committing?
• Schools
– Student demographics – often online in large districts
What Information Can You Collect?
(continued)
• Community
– Leader perceptions
– Resident perceptions
• Youth and Gang members
– Student surveys
– Gang member interviews
• Current resources
– Resources presently allocated to gangs
– Resources which could be allocated to gangs
Domain
•Individual
–Gang-involved
youth
–Other youth
Data Sources
Gang member interviews
Student surveys
School performance data
Community descriptors
•Family
Gang member interviews
Student surveys
Parent focus groups
Community descriptors
•Peers (Gangs)
Gang member interviews
Police crime and intelligence data
•Community
Community descriptors
Gang crime versus non-gang crime
Community resident survey
Community leader interviews
•School
Student surveys
School descriptors
School staff focus groups/interviews
Gang Problem Assessment Process
Step 1
Gang crime analysis
What crime(s) are
gang members
committing?
Who is committing
those crimes?
(which gangs, how
many members?)
Who is involved in
gangs? Who’s
involved in gang
crimes?
Step 2
Step 3
Young Adults/Older
Adults/Serious and
Violent Crime
Gang-involved youth
Community leaders
Residents
Resources
and/or
Mid-adolescent/less serious
offenses
School-aged youth
Community leaders
Residents/parents
Resources
Analysis and
Interpretation
Findings
What Crimes Do Gangs Commit?
Pittsburgh – East
Region
(% of total crimes that
gangs are responsible
for)
Homicide (50%)
Aggravated Assault (16%)
Weapons Offenses (57%)
Drug Offenses (25%)
23% of total crime in
selected categories
(1999-2001 for selected
census tracts)
Houston – East End
(% of total crimes that
gangs are responsible
for)
Homicide (17%)
Rape (12%)
Robbery (24%)
Aggravated Assault (15%)
18% of total crime in
selected categories
(1999-2001 for selected
census tracts)
Every Community is Different
Pittsburgh – East
Region
Houston – East End
Why do Youth Join
Gangs?
Friend in the gang (33%)
For money (24%)
For protection (19%)
Sibling in gang (14%)
For fun (10%)
To get respect (10%)
Forced to join (5%)
To fit in (0%)
Why do Youth Join
Gangs?
Protection (42%)
Respect (29%)
For money (31%)
Friends in the gang (29%)
To fit in (24%)
For fun (24%)
Sibling in gang (15%)
Forced to join (2%)
Project Criteria
Primary Project Population:
• Age:
15-24 years
• Gender:
Male
• Race:
African American
• Residence: East Liberty, Homewood, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington,
East Hills, Garfield
• History:
Criminally-involved gang member
Project Criteria
Secondary Project Population:
•
Age: 12 -18 years
•
Gender: Male
•
Residence:
•
History: Area 1 – Gang Behavior
Known Gang Member
Suspected Gang Member/Family Member
Area 2 – School Behavior
Chronic truancy, dropout
2 or more suspensions (fighting, assaults, weapon offense)
1 expulsion for 10 days or more for a violent/weapon offense
(Must meet one criteria from each of the two areas above)
Race: African American
East Liberty, Homewood, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington,
East Hills, Garfield
Using the Data From the
Assessment
What Questions Should You
Answer?
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Who is involved in gangs?
What crimes are gangs committing?
Which gangs are the most criminally active?
Why are youth joining gangs?
What factors in the community are causing gangs to
flourish?
• What is already being done?
• What steps can be most successful in reducing gang
activity?
Reporting to Your Community
• Information on gangs provided to key
agencies, policy makers, and community
residents.
• This information is used to guide a response
to the problem based upon hard information.
Developing A Plan
• Identify primary problems caused by gangs in the
community
• Identify proper targets for prevention, intervention,
and suppression.
• Select activities specific to the problems and targets.
• Assign responsibility for activities
• Identify needed services, programs, staff, etc.
An Effective Community Response
• Targeted, rather than broad.
• Incorporates prevention, intervention, and
suppression.
• Doesn’t reinvent the wheel or duplicate existing
activities.
• Ongoing information collection.
– Gangs are flexible and adaptive, we must be,
too.
• Information is power, and we are more powerful
when we share it.
Recommended Activities
• OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model
Suppression
• Targeted Law Enforcement response to the problems
caused by gangs...
• Places, times, events, and specific criminal activities.
– Social Intervention:
• Addresses social problems that lead to gang
involvement
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Mental health
• Family problems
Recommended Activities
• OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model
Opportunities Provision
• Employment and educational opportunities are crucial
– Community Mobilization
• Community residents are involved in solving the
problem.
– Organizational Change and Development
• Organizations continuously adapting to the problem.
Resources Documents
• A Guide to Assessing Your Community's Youth
Gang Problem
• Planning for Implementation
• Access these at
– The National Youth Gang Center
Institute for Intergovernmental Research
Tallahassee, FL
Telephone: (850) 385-0600
Web site: www.iir.com/nygc
Resource Documents
(Free Downloads at NYGC)
• Howell, J. C., and Egley, A., Jr. (2005). Gangs in Small
Towns and Rural Counties. NYGC Bulletin. National Youth
Gang Center. (NYGC home Web page: www.iir.com/nygc)
• Frequently Asked Questions About Gangs (and answers)
(NYGC home Web page: www.iir.com/nygc)
• Howell, J. C., Egley, A., Jr., and Gleason, D. K. (2002).
Modern Day Youth Gangs. Washington, DC: OJJDP.
• Starbuck, D., Howell, J. C., and Lindquist, D. J. (2001).
Into the Millennium: Hybrids and Other Modern Gangs.
Washington, DC: OJJDP.
Errika Fearbry Jones
Director
Gang Free Schools Project
Pittsburgh Public Schools
341 South Bellefield Avenue, Rm 424
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
ejones2@pghboe.net
412-622-3921