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The Is A Gang And His Article Develops A Convincing Argument

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Ludeke believes MLO is a gang and his article develops a convincing argument. According to the STEP Act, a gang is:
Any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons . . . having as one of its primary activities the commission of one or more of the criminal acts enumerated in paragraphs (1) to (25), inclusive, or (31) to (33), inclusive, of subdivision (e), having a common name or common identifying sign or symbol, and whose members individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity. (Ludeke, 2007). MLO has more than three members, their primary activity is to protect their turf by any means necessary, and they have shown this resolve by committing “assault with a deadly weapon or by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and intimidation of witness and victims” (Ludeke, 2007). They have a common name and its members have collectively engaged in a pattern of gang activity by committing the crimes already mentioned. Based on this, MLO meets the criteria of a gang and not only could the sheriff’s department prosecute MLO’s crimes as gang related, but they could also seek to obtain civil injunctions against them. It is hard to imagine that a group meeting all the characteristics of what makes a criminal street gang as described in the STEP Act, would not be prosecuted as such. Law enforcement’s failure to identify MLO as a gang begs the question, if this was not Malibu, if these kids were not

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