GANG DEFINITIONS & UNIFORM REPORTING

There are many different gang definitions among jurisdictions at the state and local levels. Lacking a standardized definition makes it difficult to have a common discussion on gang issues and contributes to the complexity of quantifying the nature and extent of the gang problem. NAGIA (National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association) recommends the following definition of the term “gang”:

·         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. Criminal activity includes juvenile acts that, if committed by an adult, would be a crime.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) also provides the following gang definition:

·         A group is considered a gang if it has a formal organizational structure, identifiable leadership, identifiable territory, and recurrent interaction, and is engaged in serious or violent criminal behavior.

·         An ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons whose primary activities include the commission of one or more serious or violent criminal acts; that has a common name or identifying sign or symbol and “whose members individually or collectively…have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity.”

Washington State Legislature in RCW 28.A.600.455 defines “gang” as:

·         A group which: (a) consists of three or more persons; (b) has identifiable leadership; and (c) on an ongoing basis, regularly conspires and acts in concert mainly for criminal purposes.

The standardization of gang definitions may help alleviate another problem, which is the lack of uniform reporting of gang related crimes and activities. Most local and state police departments base their crime statistics on the dispatch calls for service; dispatch codes do not include references to activities/possible crimes as gang related. Similarly no accurate statistics are kept on gang related criminal activity for most police departments. The FBI’s full implementation of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which collects information reported through the Uniform Crime Reports (UCRs), could also help in this endeavor and make it possible for more accurate reporting of gang activity and related crimes.

 
Signs That There May Be Gang Activity in a School:

-         An increase in graffiti.

-         Groups of students using unfamiliar nicknames and/or vocabulary.

-         An increase in weapons incidents or incidents of intimidation.

-         Groups of students who have similar tattoos or insignia drawn on their books or other possessions.

-         Groups of students who greet each other in uniform but unusual ways.

-         Groups of students wearing similar types of clothing or colors.

Elements of Effective Gang Suppression Initiatives in Schools

 Source: Gang Suppression and Intervention: Community Models. U. S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

 -          Develop a school gang code with guidelines setting down for teachers and staff an appropriate response to different kinds of gang behavior, including a mechanism for dealing with serious gang delinquency.

-          Apply the rules and regulations within a context of positive relationships and open staff communication with parents, community agencies and students.

-          Make a clear distinction between gang and nongang-related activity to avoid exaggerating the scope of the problem.

-          Assess openly the extent and seriousness of gang problems and reach a consensus among the school, staff, parents, community and justice system about the nature and scope of those problems.

-          Form a school-community council to focus on the problem. Include parents, agencies, grassroots groups and juvenile justice authorities.

-          Create a pattern of learning opportunities, coordinated security and services aimed at gang members and youth prone to gangs.

-          Target hard-core gang members and youth less involved in gangs for special remedial education, support services and supervision.

-          Offer basic academic and work-related, problem-solving tools, and introduce gang-prone youth early to the world of work, education and community responsibility. Link job apprenticeships and remedial education to career development.

-          Encourage teachers and other staff to develop positive, personalized relationships with gang members. It can serve to reduce violent and disruptive acts.

-          Involve parents of gang and non-gang youth with meetings and street patrols, or by monitoring student activities, assisting teachers with activities, and helping with parent gang education programs.