ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the recent history of gang policing and prosecutions in New York City. The New York Police Department’s turn toward tracking, suppression, and incarceration of “crews” began in 2012 when its race-based stop-and-frisk practices were under siege. The NYPD’s use of a narrative of “gangs” terrorizing neighborhoods has created moral panic and shored up support for militarized and race-based policing and prosecution strategies. The chapter will outline the policing and prosecutorial mechanisms used for gang suppression work. These mechanisms include gang databases, mass gang indictments, and gang prosecutions under conspiracy and RICO conspiracy laws.
