The Mission Of The Sdwcc Task Force Essay

Chicago has the biggest gang problem in the country (Thomas & Bass, 2009). “There are more gang members per citizen in Chicago than anywhere else in the country” (Thomas, 2009, para 4). The average Chicago gang leader is 43, convicted of murder and lives in the suburbs. That leader on many occasions directs his gang from jail (Main, 2006) and 95 percent of inmates in the Cook County Jail are gang members (Thomas, 2009). Gangs are everywhere today just like they use to be. The high number of gangs causes violence and deaths to rise in Chicago.

T.A.R.G.E.T is an acronym for Tri Agency Gang Enforcement Team represents a multiagency approach to targeting current gang members with suppression measures while also targeting entire gangs with police suppression. Each team in the TARGET program consists of gang investigators, a probation officer, a deputy district attorney, and a district attorney investigator. This program uses a three-pronged strategy: 1 selective incarceration of the most violent and repeat older gang offenders in the most violent gangs, 2 the enforcement of probation controls graduated sanctions and intensive supervision on younger, less violent gang offenders, and 3 arrests of gang leaders in “hot spots” of gang activity. A major aim of the TARGET program is to reduce

The documentary Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008) focuses on conditions and causes of gang violence in Los Angeles, California, as well as the history and background of the main gangs that reside there. The information in the film is compiled from interviews of past and present members of the Crips and Bloods, which are the two main gangs that contribute to the violence in the area. The interviewees explain how the gangs work and the conditions under which these people live daily. There can be parallels drawn from the film to Elijah Anderson’s article titled “The Code of the Streets”, published in 1994, that discusses violence in terms of gang and criminal activity.

Homeboy Industries provides an approach to gang desistance influenced by ideas of Catholic social justice and therapeutic rehabilitation (Flores, 2016). Each year, over 10,000 former gang members seek their guidance (Homeboy Industries, 2005). By combining counseling, case management, education, vocational training, and job placement, Homeboy Industries helps former gang youth become contributing members in their families, communities, and society (Homeboy Industries, 2005). Homeboy Industries offers employment in their bakeries, cafés, silk-screening and tattoo removal studios, and landscaping and maintenance service divisions (Flores,2016).

Understanding that most of this kids are coming from a lower social economic background means that there is not a lot of resources provided for them. Despite this what the community should do is have a career fair to help gang members. According to, Beth Caldwell “ connecting gang members with meaningful employment opportunities, may be some of the most successful efforts in helping people to stop engaging in gang activity”. Having a career fair can be an option for youth gang members to think about going to college or finding a job rather than being in a gang. Giving them the ability to think that their essence is important can impact their life in a positive course. Job training skills can help them be a better person to seek for job opportunities. Even though civil gang injunction tend to bring a negative aspect into society and communities, they also benefit our society. Civil gang injunction help maintain community safety and focuses on the safety of the

A consistent trend shifting the Town of Anthony Texas, is that of youth joining gangs at a very early age, starting drugs at an early age and having babies at a very early age. The use of alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs, by youth in this community is growing exponentially, due mostly to the prevalence of the drug within this community. The gangs are predominately Mexican-American and Mexican national in origin and appeal to Hispanic youth. Gang activity always involves drugs. In addition, the gang violence seen in this community stems from “turf” disputes over which gang has the power to sell drugs in a particular neighborhood. The Community Relation Coalition cannot address substance abuse without addressing gang activity in the

Chapter Four is entitled, “[The] Scope and Nature of the Current Gang Problem.” It focuses on recent trends in number of gangs, gang members and gang-related crimes in each city. In Inglewood, almost all the neighborhoods were claimed by at least one gang, with gang-unit officers agreeing that the city was facing a major gang problem. In Albuquerque, gangs were involved in drug trafficking and property offenses, with 7 out of 8 gang-unit officers believing the city had a major gang problem. In Las Vegas, migration from other cities was thought to be the primary cause of an increase in gang members. 50% of crime in Las Vegas is attributed to gangs, with most officers believing they had a moderate to major gang problem. In Phoenix, the gang problem is described as wave-like, with 70% of gang-unit officers thinking the city had a major gang problem. These statistics were backed up through interviews with officers and city records.

In recent times, public officials, community groups and activists have expressed their concern over the growth of violence perpetrated by youth gangs. On their own, local governments are often restricted not only by budgetary constraints, but operating knowledge. There is evidence that when public officials and community groups are engaged, empowered and enlightened in a collaborative effort, change happens. When both the public and private sectors willingly cooperate together, deterrence of gang violence can be achieved. This paper delves into specific government programs that studies and provides information on gang violence. This information brings forward specific limitations and recommendations that a continued collaborative effort can deter youth gang violence.

A two-pronged prevention approach has proven effective, with primary prevention strategies aimed at the community 's general population and secondary prevention strategies targeting youth between the ages of 7 and 14 who are at high risk of joining gangs. Prevention efforts undertaken by law enforcement departments around the country include: “Participating in community awareness campaigns (e.g. developing public service announcements and poster campaigns). Contacting the parents of peripheral gang members (through the mail or during personal visits) to alert them that their children are involved with a gang. Sponsoring gang hotlines to gather information and facilitate a quick response to gang-related issues. Organizing athletic events with teams of law enforcement officers and gang members. Establishing working relationships with local social service agencies. Making presentations about gangs to schools and community groups as a combined effort at prevention and information gathering. Sponsoring school-based gang and drug prevention programs (e.g. DARE and GREAT)” (Hess, 2013 p.230).

After realizing this method was not exactly efficient in preventing gang violence, programs were started to steer gangs in the right direction. Although these programs are new and are not fully functioning yet, they have shown significant improvements in prevention and continue to research the topic to this day. The solution to gang violence has not been discovered yet, but there are many theories regarding the issue.

For my final paper I am going to talk about a program that in my eyes is a great way for our youth to receive different views and healthy choices when it comes to avoiding and confronting gangs or gang members. Gang Resistance Education and Training, abbreviated G.R.E.A.T., and provides a school-based, police officer instructed program that includes classroom instruction and various learning activities. The mission of the program is to provide a range of activities to our kids to keep them away from gangs or related activity as well as educate them on competency, usefulness, and personal empowerment which will prevent them from

The development of gangs in the course of the last two decades has been accompanied by the development and progression of specialized law enforcement responses to gangs. The nature, features and scope of police gang control shows the formation of police gang units and theoretical and policy rationales for police gang units. Police gang units are imaginably the clearest embodiment of the gang suppression approach (Klein, 1995a: 161). Under the suppression approach, Klein (1995a) argues, enforcement officials see their primary responsibility as responding to gang street crimes. Suppression strategy is based on deterrence theory. The purpose of the deterrence is keep a possible offender from repeating in crime nature and deter others from preventing

According to the Merced Sun Star, the main individuals that join gangs are often people who are at a social disadvantage or have inequality compared to others. These people are more likely to have lower income and live in neighbourhoods that are surrounded by people who live in these conditions.In order to put up with these cases, it is important to start at the root of the cause in order to make changes happen for a better future. Since one of the main similarities among the gang-related issues revolves lower income families, we should create programs that can help rebuild their neighbourhoods. For example holding fundraisers and raising money to create a park or play place near the neighborhood that way when these individuals are young thye will have

In society today, there is a major problem We live in a society where gangs are taking over our neighborhoods in numbers. It is the responsibility of the individuals to part take in getting their neighborhoods back under control. Gangs are becoming a growing problem in American society. More young people are turning to gangs to solve problems in their lives or for acceptance. When youths join gangs, they drop all their social activities with school, family, and friends. However, individuals ruin their lives, and the chances of them having a decent education, and a successful life by getting involved in gang activity.

Crime prevention strategies should first include efforts starting with adolescents and teenagers by mandating crime prevention programs at public and private schools. The well-known program, D.A.R.E. (drug abuse resistance education), has been a widely used curriculum in schools around the country teaching children about drugs, violence, bullying, internet safety, and other criminal activities (D.A.R.E., 2016). This programs main goal is to raise awareness and knowledge about these types of immoral activities that will expectantly assist youth to make better decisions throughout their lives. Other programs, such as G.R.E.A.T. (gang resistance education and training), should also be incorporated in crime prevention curriculums at all