Reflect on one of the following policies or programs or another topic from the unit that may have appealed to you, and discuss this question: why do you think gangs are still an issue in the United States today despite the existence of these programs?
1) MS-13 and Immigration Policy
2) M-18 and Immigration Policy
3) Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.)
4) Transnational Anti-Gang (TAG) Task Force
5) National Gang Targeting, Enforcement & Coordination Center
6) FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative
7) FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative
8) ANSWER THE ABOVE DISCUSSION AND THEN REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 200 WORDS EACH)
CLASSMATE’S RESPONSE
Criminal street gangs have become one of the most serious crime problems in California and throughout urbans cities in the United States. Gang violence-particularly assaults, drive-by shootings, homicides, and brutal home-invasion robberies-accounts for one of the largest, single, personal threats to public safety in major American cities such as LA, Atlanta and Chicago. Gangs provide them with a sense of friendship, camaraderie, and family-things that they are not receiving at home or school. (Gau, 2018). Youth experience a kind of success in gangs whereas, they experience failure at school and in the home. They have not developed the skills to constructively express feelings of anger and rage. There is nothing else to do youth have no hope and see no alternative but to join a gang. They feel their survival may depend on joining a neighborhood gang. They fear for their safety and believe that being in a gang gives them protection.
Often gangs became an avenue to gain respect and money. Gangs can provide lucrative economic opportunities, status, and prestige especially for youths that do not believe they have employment opportunities, or who have no job skills. This is the reason many join and gangs exist. Some youths grow up in families where parents and relatives are active gang members and joining a gang is part of family tradition. In the Hispanic neighborhoods, for instance, gangs have been an integral part of the barrio for generation. (Gau, 2018). Gangs are a very dangerous and expensive problem to deal with. They are something that needs to be dealt with more because gangs can only get bigger if steps are not taken. Even with implemented programs gangs have still managed to grow throughout the years. Most programs have been focused on prevention and enforcement, which is important, but intervention needs to be focused on more modern methods and tactics (Barnes Jr.,2004). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has adopted a renewed strategy for reducing and preventing violent crimes relating to gangs, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania focusing on the Harrisburg, York, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport areas (Barnes Jr.,2004). Federal, state and local law enforcement officers have joined forces to coordinate their activities in these high-crime areas and are vigorously enforcing the laws which punish gun offenses, gang activity, drug-related crimes and other acts of violence.
References:
Barnes Jr., P. (2004). Anti-gang legislation needed. State Government News, 47(3), 16. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tsh&AN=12878885&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Gau, J. M. (2018). Criminal justice policy: Origins and effectiveness. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.