Gang Drugs in America



Outline

I. Introduction

A. History of Gangs in America

B. History of Drugs in America

II. Gang Drug Activities

A. Drug Trafficking

B. Drug Distribution

C. Drug Use

III. Addressing Gang Drug Activities

A. Statistics

B. Resolutions / Strategies

C. Conclusion

IV. References

Gang Drugs in America

Introduction

The gang is an American phenomenon. Reports of groups of youth involved in criminal activities called “gangs” emerged over 200 years ago in the United States (Fagan, 2001). Since then, the gang has held a particular fascination in the United States, and young people in gangs are the contemporary image of the rogue, the bad guy, the criminal “other” (Jefferson, 1993; Sanders, 2005). In the twenty-first century, gangs remain an important criminal justice concern, as they are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. For instance, in large cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, half of the total number of homicides has been considered “gang related” (Egley & Ritz, 2006). As of 2004, statistics indicate that approximately three-quarters of a million gang members were active in the United States (Egley & Ritz, 2006). These numbers are based largely on police records, and more gang youth may exist due to their hidden nature (Valdez & Kaplan, 1999).

While ganging has traditionally been a male phenomenon, research indicates the number of female gang members has risen significantly in recent years (Miller, 2001a; Miller, 2001b). Esben-sen and Lynsky (2001, p. 98), for instance, reported in their findings that “there are more girls in gangs than is commonly assumed” whereby 38 percent of all gang members in their 8th grade sample were females. Young women in gangs are no longer considered strictly to be sexual auxiliaries of male gangs, but are rather autonomous groups who engage in crime and violence at levels paralleling their male counterparts (Miller, 2001b; Moore & Hagedorn, 2001; however, see Wang, 2000).

History of Gangs in America

According to Siegel & Welsh (2008), gangs are traditionally composed of males under the age of 30 who have territories and “colors” identifying which gang they belong to and are loosely organized, while Huff (1989) segregates gangs into categories, each with its own descriptors. The BGDs are evolving from a traditional street gang to more of a criminal business entity. This evolution now includes military training. These phenomena, when deployed, will have a very dangerous and profound effect on the safety and security of the city of Chicago. This has implications for the training and equipping of police.

There is a history of militarily trained gang members in the United States, such as the biker gangs in the late 1950s and 1960s and contemporary transnational gangs like MS-13. These individuals were drafted soldiers in the case of the biker gangs and part of a revolutionary force in the case of MS-13. However, there is no evidence that these individuals were members of a street gang prior to entry into their respective armed forces; rather, the organization of these gangs occurred subsequent to their members leaving the ...