Street Gang Influence on Law Enforcement Strategies and Policies.

Running Head : Street Gangs

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Introduction

Street gangs are very common in America and especially amongst African American populations . The history of street gangs can be traced back to the 1930s when African Americans were undergoing challenging moments considering that it was an era of great racial discrimination Different street gangs have different names for instance , famous street gangs in the US included The `Kelleys , The `Driver Brothers , The `Boozies ' as well as The `Magnificents . Activities of such gangs evolved from violence

, robbery , drug dealing , and prostitution to covert missions . In addition , street gangs have been usually composed of juveniles . Composition of the street gangs has always been around peers such as friends , sisters or brothers . Although street gangs lack clear ideology in the struggle for black liberation street gangs were seen as the voice of black struggle within the black community and very little was done by the community to deal with the problem of street gangs

Today , street gangs have various definitions depending on who is defining them . For instance , a researcher 's definition is different from a police definition and definitions have varied from author to author with different authors giving different definitions for street gangs . For example (Skogan , 1990 ) defined street gangs as groups of teenagers who congregate around street corners not necessarily for covert missions but also because of social pressures such as lack of shelter (Sarnecki . 2001 . Another author , Sheriff and Sheriff (1964 defined street gangs as an elaborate network of young persons whose goal is to violate the law (Sarnecki . 2001 . This shows how greatly the of street gangs has been surrounded by mystery in America However , there is agreement that street gangs in America are largely networks of people with a loosely threaded ideology which is temporary In addition , membership to street gangs is never permanent as the street gangs have very strict `code of conduct ' which often see members fall apart

In addition , street gangs cut across racial , religious , national and ethnic backgrounds and today , unlike before the definition of street gangs goes beyond `black ' gangs (Jennifer Lee , Min Zhou , 2004 . Street gangs have a way of identifying themselves which is distinct from other competing gangs . For instance , each gang in America has their particular label of clothing or shoes which is only specific to that gang and anyone found to be using the same label outside the gang membership is often met with punishment which can include lynching or assault and in some cases , death (Jennifer Lee , Min Zhou , 2004 . Street gangs also use specific types of tattoos on their bodies to further define themselves and as a result differentiate themselves from other competing gangs (Jennifer Lee , Min Zhou , 2004 . Also common amongst street gangs is the use of hand signals which are unique to members of the given street gang and is a way of communication , identity and a sign of loyalty to the particular street gang . Street gangs also have their unique communication...