ABSTRACT

To identify how increases in homicides can be attributed to gang activity, we should consider that the risk of being a homicide victim globally is highest for young men age 15–29. The subsequent decrease in risk of violence over a lifetime is a direct reflection of the decreasing involvement, as men age, in high-risk illicit activities such as street gang membership. As many as 25% of homicides in urban cities are gang related, and the number of gang-related homicides is increasing.

Concern over the level of fear produced by street gangs has been recognized as a major problem in the arrest and later conviction of gang members. It is believed that victims and witnesses are less likely to cooperate with authorities for fear of gang retaliation. Gang members recognize that their current lifestyle makes them a likely target, and current gang members felt significantly more at-risk than ex-gang members who, in turn, felt significantly more at-risk than non-gang offenders.

Communities made up of immigrants from the same country often band together when they arrive in a new place. New immigrants may join gangs to be part of the new culture, to increase their likelihood of success, or quite often, to defend themselves against gang members in the community that want to prey on the new citizens. While not all members of an immigrant community are likely to become gang members, those that do will add a new dimension to the criminal justice needs of the community.