Street Gangs in California Essay Example
Street Gangs in California Essay Example

Street Gangs in California Essay Example

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  • Pages: 15 (3858 words)
  • Published: May 11, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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A group of people united together in the pursuit for social and criminal reasons. In most cases, gangs are comprised by adolescents and / or children. There are some gangs who only have adults as members. Male membership comprises the majority of gangs in existence (World Book Encyclopedia Volume 8 p. 26).

It is predominantly in the low – income and rundown neighborhoods of major cities of the United States where majority of juvenile gangs are found. The same ethnic and racial identity is shared by most gang members. Generally, gang memberships consist of blacks, Spanish or Asian Americans.There are gangs whose members belong to the same age bracket. Still, there are gangs whose members represent various age brackets.

Gangs may exist for only about a couple of years until its members reach the age of

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adulthood. However, since there are gangs whose members are of various ages, the gang’s lifespan may extend up to 10 years or longer due to the replacement of younger members for older ones who has left. The leadership structures of a gang may be considered to be complex. Most structures though fall into the loosely organized category (Ibid, par. ).Gang members are most likely to spend most of their time hanging out on street corners busying themselves in non – criminal activities.

They also consume their time engaging in various forms of delinquent behavior like stealing to get money or car - napping vehicles for joy - riding. There has been a lot of gang rivalry happening in different places. Most of these riots result in a lot of fighting and even deaths. Alcoholism, dangerous drugs, vandalism and sexual

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misbehaviors are among the delinquent activities most gang members do (Ibid, par. 2).

Sociologist points out the pessimistic view about life as one of the things commonly found in gang members. These people who turn to these kinds of brotherhood seems to have lost faith in being able to succeed in life. They believe that the chances for them to strike at a better future may not actually come. Most people who embrace membership in a gang are school drop out and unemployed.

Gang members usually represent communities known for their high crime rates. Most of them come from families with little to no parental control as guidance for a better future (Ibid, par. 3).There have been various programs designed to reduce gang delinquency in the society. Psychological therapy and job advice has been offered in community centers catering primarily to these delinquents.

In their attempt to redirect these people’s unlawful acts, social workers turn to constructive activities in the form of community projects and sports (Ibid, par. 4). Gangs have been recorded to be in existence ever since the late 1800s. Adults mainly comprise earlier gangs. Al Capone and other bosses gain control of most organized crimes in the history of gangs.

Youth gang rivalry happened during the late 1950s and the 1960s.The number of juvenile gangs increased in the 1970s. During these times, gangs have already begun assaults to outsiders, even the likes of teachers and students from public schools (Ibid, par. 5). Street gang is a group of people who adhere for a common goal and who are usually engaged in what is often described to be a ferocious illicit activity. Gangs usually

claim to have the reigns over a specific area in a given community.

Leadership roles are often informal. It is usually assumed by a member who has displayed domination over the others in a particular time.Males aged 13 to 28 usually consist gang membership. In a gang, all ethic and racial groups as well as economic income levels are represented (Multnomah County Oregon, p.

1). There is no one reason why the youth engage themselves in a gang. To cite some of the reasons why, there are the excitement ignited in a person performing gang activities, peer pressure, attention, media interest, financial benefit and an overlook of the many hazards that goes hand in hand with such acts. There has been no active discouragement solicited from the parents of these youth for their children to get involved in a gang.Almost always, these parents have no idea that their children are already a gang member.

Examining every little thing a gang does is considered to be impractical. Most often than not, there is criminal activity and violence whenever a gang in involved in a certain activity. Gang members are fond of confronting their rivals. Schools, entertainment areas and even shopping malls become venues of such gang rivalries. Violence indeed is headline worthy.

While it draws much attention from the public, we must also realize that violence damages family lives, private and public properties. A gang’s reputation can be fostered by vandalism.A person prides him self of being affiliated in a gang. Most of the time, these people openly owns up to their membership.

The identity of their gang is revealed in the manner they dress up

and in the tattoos on their skin. Their personal effects bear their gang’s name. “Many 'shot signs' or make gestures with their hands which identify their gang. Members often adopt nicknames when recruited into the gang that become their new identity or 'moniker'” (Ibid, par. 7). Cases of delinquency have called the attention of concerned citizens.

Studies have been made to identify the root of these problems involving the youth.Most of these researches have family relationships and neighborhood conditions as their concentration. In the course of the study, a realization surfaced. It is doubtful therefore that a child becomes delinquent for only one reason (The World Book Encyclopedia Volume 11 p. 204). Family relationships particularly the one existing between children and their parents have been the subject of studies that seek to identify the roots of delinquency in society.

Earlier studies have comparisons between delinquent and non – delinquent brothers. They have showed that over 90 percent of the subjects appeared to have unhappy home environments.The subjects expressed discontentment with their family life circumstances. Only 13 percent of their counterparts felt likewise.

Whatever reason their unhappiness may be credited to, for these children, delinquency is the answer to the problem. Delinquency gives them the attention they could not get otherwise. It has even solicited approval among their friends who are delinquents themselves. Delinquency for them even appears to be the solution to their sad plights in one way or the other. Many delinquent youths don’t actually get along with their parents well, as more recent studies have shown.

These are children of parents who have an inconsistent pattern of punishment and discipline (Ibid, par. 9). Studies

of sociologists find concentration on neighborhood conditions. Differing rates of delinquency has been stressed more than the manner persons become delinquents (Ibid, par. 10). The poorest sections of cities are where delinquency rates register the highest.

Many incidents of broken homes and alcoholism may be found in these tumbledown areas. These neglected parts of the cities also have poor schools, high rates of unemployment and crime as well as few recreational facilities among their many societal problems.In their most desperate attempts to run away from poverty, boredom and many other problems, the youth turn to juvenile delinquency as a sole means of escape (Ibid, par. 11).

The influence of other youths on juvenile delinquents has also been a focus of the studies conducted by social scientists. Citing for example, studies have shown that most delinquents have performed their acts together with other juveniles. Such acts have been executed often in organized gangs (Ibid, par. 12).

With reference to the studies that have been made, we can conclude that the causes of delinquency extend to the society as a whole.Among the low – income groups in society, delinquency rates appear to be on a high. These areas are where most people in residence belong to the well – to – do families of society. Much more than in any other place, the pain of being poor and the life in the slums is very much felt in rich societies than in its poor counterparts (Ibid, par.

13). The gangs during the older days dress in basic styles and colors of choice by the gangs they form alliance to. However, there had been a growing pressure coming

from school official, parents and even the police against they way gang members dress up.As a result, they made their styles appear less noticeable. Professional sports team jacket, shirts and caps became the gang fashion.

This made it even harder to identify who are gang members from those who are not. Having known this for a fact, law enforcers find other ways to identify gang presence in an area. One may know for sure if a gang is active in the community just by looking for graffiti. This is considered to be their underground newspaper.

It is where they express themselves, grievances and otherwise. It is also where they claim responsibility for their criminal acts.Graffiti is used to mark a gang's territorial boundaries and profess allegiance. Having said this, graffiti as a problem is an understatement.

It is because of vandalism why the property values of residential, commercial and industrial areas depreciate. This problem desperately calls for a collaboration among responsible authorities to find the best solution to the issue at hand. “Information form the public is also necessary to achieve our goals of developing a strategy that balances prevention, intervention and suppression” (Multnomah County Oregon NP). Ethnic gangs, turf gangs and prison gangs are the three major types of street gangs.A gang’s classifications are dictated by factors including location, activities and prerequisites of inclusion.

It is the race or nationality of the members that gives definition to the ethnic gangs. There are three major types of street gangs, each defined by factors such as prerequisites for inclusion, location or gang activities. Ethnic gangs define themselves by the nationality or race of the gang members.

The Neo – Nazi, Skinhead and the White Supremacist gangs are examples of an ethnic gang that are defined less by the ethnicities of their members than by the ethnicities they hate.These gangs are united because of their loath for Jews, Hispanics, Blacks and non – Protestant Christians. In reference to turf gangs on the other hand, they identify themselves by the territory they rule.

Gang members usually hold address within the boundaries of such territories. A common ethnicity in a gang is possible due to a certain amount of homogeneity existing in some neighborhoods. In most cases, a gang is named after the territory they have power over. Like in the case of the 10th Street Gang of the East Side Cobras. Going stray into their territory is considered to be a mortal sin.The punishment for which is beating or more drastically even death.

This event usually ignites wars and gang rivalry. Going to prison is not tantamount to the surrender of membership in gang fashion. Street gangs and wars that usually come with it extend to the confines of prison bars. These groups of people are called prison gangs. There are some gangs however which are founded behind prison walls.

After serving their sentence or otherwise, they begin to run on and make their presence felt in the outside world. It is a given that serving a prison sentence is a pre – requisite in joining this type of gang.These gangs are characteristically tough and brutal. One gang expert once said that when you put a young gang member behind bars, you are like sending one soul into a criminal college (Grabianowski NP).

At a tender age of 10 or 11, children are exposed to gang activities happening around them. This kind of exposure tells a lot about how gang members find their way in a gang in the first place. Their young minds are easily aroused with the money and respect that older gang members enjoy for themselves. As a result they loaf with gang members trying to find out the nooks and crannies of the association.Children are given preference when recruiting members.

Gang members very well know that if they have children carry their weapons and drugs and even perform crimes in their name, it is less likely that the police's attention may be solicited. Even when they get caught however, a juvenile detention is clearly shorter than the time it takes for an adult to serve his sentence. An initiation is performed during the process of recruiting gang members. There are neither formalities nor elaborate ceremonies done during initiation rites.

However, the endurance of an initiate is tested while he performs certain rites. 'Jumping in', a rite where the initiate is beaten up by all gang members is usually done. Rape, may be done when a female want to form an alliance with a gang. It will serve as her initiation. Following the jumping in rite or sometime in lieu of it, it is a must that an initiate take part in a mission. This mission could mean car stealing or fire fight with rival gangs.

There are gangs who only declare a person as official member the moment he has shot or gunned down someone.Getting a tattoo may be considered as an initiation rite. A

typical day in a gang's life is arguably far from exciting. Their everyday life revolves around drinking sessions, drug use and abuse, loafing around the neighborhood and sleeping until the wee hours of the morning. They may even call for a meeting during godly hours by the pool hall or at a roller rink.

They may even sell drugs and get their hands dirty for committing vandalism or theft and other petty crimes. If there is something that drives a gang life most profoundly, it is the notion of respect.To gain respect, it could mean having to commit violent crimes. Assaults, assassination in the name of pride, revenge, turf or money are things that may be considered typical in a gang's life (Ibid, par. 16). It has been years since street gangs have started to be in existence in the United States.

It is in the huge metropolises where it can dig its roots from. For the purposes of self – protection for family and friends within the boundaries of the neighborhood where they reside are the original reasons for the formation of these gangs.Not so long after, these gangs began to perform criminal acts to gain a source of income as most of them are jobless (Walker NP). Prison walls do not appear to constrict gang activities. Most often, a gang member maintains his membership in a gang even when he is inside a prison cell.

In his confinement, he may eventually reunite with other members of his gang. They may form a larger and more powerful gang, including traditional gangs in this kind of place (Ibid, par. 18). Prison staff considers inmates maintaining

their gang membership to be a serious threat to security.These inmates generally lack discipline and leadership, they note.

It is in the Chicago area for the most part, particularly in Southern California where gangs first came into existence. Copy – cat gangs, generally hundreds of them were formed all over the United States. These gangs register Chicago and California as their bases (Ibid, par. 19). Thanks to their media exposure way back 1980s, the Bloods and the Crips are arguably the most infamous gangs in all of America. These Los Angeles – bases gangs have roamed, the United States over.

They may be found in most states.They also register in prison populations all over the United States. In today’s standards, these gangs are not anymore racially specific. Hundreds of sets or individual gangs fall under the main Blood and Crips street gangs (Florida Department of Corrections, p. 14).

Chicago – based Folk Nation and the People Nation are very much felt in Florida. As a result the Blood and Crips gangs have developed cronies under their associations. It is in the People Nation where the Bloods conventionally align themselves to. On their part, the Crips side with the Folk Nation. The gang’s alignment varies per jurisdiction.

This variation is brought about by the gang’s rivalry over drug territory or violence against each other. These alliances are often conveyed mostly in the gangs’ graffiti. There are areas where these two gangs engage in a competition for the drug trade. The Crips and a Folk group that goes by the name Black Gangster Disciples are rivals in this case.

This rivalry is communicated in the gangs’ respective graffiti

by the use of the “eight ball. ” The sets are allied if the “eight ball” is illustrated as intact. If the “eight ball” represented on the graffiti is conked out or drawn through, a conflict exists between the gangs.The 'eight ball' is significant because when you bring the hand sign for the Crips and the 'pitchfork' hand sign together it forms an 8 - ball” (Ibid, par. 21).

Aligned with the People Nation sets, a gang who traces its roots in South California is the Bloods. This gang fashion the color red. They wear red bandannas or rags. To express disrespect for the rival gang Crips, the Bloods use the word 'piru,' and crossed out 'c' in words as expressed in their graffiti (Ibid, par. 22). It was in the late 1960s when another gang came into existence.

It is what is now famously known as the Crips.The Crips moved around the United States. They are aligned with the Folk Nation. The Crips are characteristically multi – racial and highly violent.

The color blue is associated with this gang. The Crips gang members fashion the use of blue bandannas, rags and British Knight (BK) tennis shoes. They call each other 'cuzz. ' They prefer to call themselves 'blood killas' and wear the letter 'c' in place of the letter 'b' all in disrespect to the Bloods (Ibid, par. 23). It was in a fateful day of March in the year 1999 when a Wal – Mart employee later identified to be an African – American was attacked by with a hammer.

The perpetrator of the crime was identified to be two Nazi Low Riders (NLR)

members. The NLR is a prison gang whose members are skinhead people. Shaun Broderick and Christopher Crawford were then charged with two counts of assault and attempted murder because of this. This Wal – Mart incident in Lancaster is but one of the many crimes where the NLR gang is involved.

Most of the criminal acts of NLR are violent and racially motivated (Anti – Defamation League, p. 1). In the Los Angeles County (LAC), there are 88 incorporated cities. In addition to this there are other unincorporated places that are about a dozen in number.The research's goal is to be able to identify the growth of gangs within the confines of the city. In doing so it is inevitable to visit each of the places of concern.

The study aims to identify the gangs who are active as well as to identify the areas where they hold territorial reigns. In the research conducted, the term 'places' refer to both the cities as well as the unincorporated areas. It is a term used by the U. S. Census.

The research lasted for many weeks. Throughout the course of the study, 274 Black gangs in 17 cities and 5 unincorporated areas in the LA County were identified (Streetgangs. om NP).In the LA County, the number of Bloods gangs existing totals to 75.

In Athens, Los Angeles, there were no Blood gangs present. The east area of LA which was originally known as Athens is now called Rosedale. The reason for the change in name is due to the efforts to improve property values and public perceptions in the area. It is an unincorporated area of LA

and it is also where the Athens Park Blood gang rules.

In Carson California, the Blood gangs who exist are the Center View Piru, Calas Park Loks, Cabbage Patch Piru, Samoan Warrior Bounty Hunters, Scotts Dale Piru and West Side Piru.The Butler Block Piru, East Compton Piru, Elm Street Pirus, Fruit Town Pirus, Holly Hood Pirus, Leuders Park Pirus, Lime Hood Pirus, Tree Top Pirus, Neighbor Hood Pirus, Cedar Block Pirus, Cross Atlantic Pirus, East Side Pirus, Original Block Pirus, 151, West Side Pirus and 900 Block Bloods are rule Compton, California. In the city of Duarte, there has been no record of Blood gang existence. However, there has been some Crip activity recorded to have taken place in this city.

Ninety -two Bishop Bloods reign in Florence. This group goes by the name Watts. Blood gangs do not exist in Gardena, but Crip gangs do.The Hawthorne Piru rules in the city of LA of the same name.

In Inglewood, Los Angeles, the identified Blood gangs are the Avenue Piru Gang, Center Park Blood, Centinela Park Family, Crenshaw Mafia Gangster, Doty Block Gang, Inglewood Family Gang, Neighbor Hood Piru, Queen Street Blood and the Weirdos Blood. In Lakewood, California, there are 706 Blood gangs. In Long Beach, there has been some Crip activity but there were no Blood acts in the place. In the city of LA, the Bloods reign supreme both in the east and the west, the Watts included.

The Bloods are not active in this area. The Crips basically rule this part of LA.There was once a gang named the Mid Town Family way back in the 1970s. This gang eventually fagged

in the past years.

The Mid Wilshire Bloods of the Mid Wilshire area was active in the 1990s. This area was the center of the activity of another gang named the West Side Bloods of South Los Angeles, still in the City of LA. In Inglewood, some West Side Bloods may be found. The West Side Bloods in Inglewood are the Black P Stones – City, Black P Stones – Jungles, Dalton Gangster Bloods – Inactive, Fruit Town Brims, Harvard Park Brims, Neighbor Hood Rollin 20s Bloods and the Van Ness Gangsters.Inglewood is the center of the East Side Bloods of South Los Angeles though they may also be found in the Watts.

Other Bloods that may be found in the Watts include the Blood Stone Pirus, 30's, Blood Stone Villains, Denver Lane Bloods, Family Swan Bloods, Mad Swan Bloods, Miller Gangster Bloods, Outlaw 20s and Pueblo Bloods. The Watts is obviously the center of the Watts Bloods of South LA, including the Be – Bopp, Bounty Hunters, Circle City Piru, Hacienda Village Bloods and the Bishops. The Bishops are the ones who claim to be the Watts in this unincorporated part of the Los Angeles County.The Bloods of Lynwood, California is the Mob Piru. The Bloods are inactive in Paramount but the Crips are active in that particular area.

The Park Nine Bloods, Pasadena Denver Lanes and the Pasadena Squiggley Lanes or PSLG are the Bloods who are active in Pasadena. The Park Nine Bloods are now defunct ever since 1997. The 456 Island and the Barjug 456 are the Blood who rule Pomona. The 135 Pirus, Athens Park Bloods and the Campenella Park

Pirus are active in Rosewood. The Crips are active in the north of Santa Monica College.

However, there has been no record of Bloods acts in that area (Ibid, par. 26).

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