Comprehensive Gang Model

Goals of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model • Reduce gang violence to restore

community safety

• Improve the capacity of the community, its institutions, and organizations to prevent, intervene in, and suppress the youth gang problem

What do you know about your community’s gang situation?

The Assessment

Assessment Results Need to Pinpoint these Program Targets

• Seriously at-risk youth (prevention)• Gang-involved youth (intervention)• The most violent gangs and gang leaders (suppression)• The areas where gangs hang out and where crimes

occur most often

Key: Gather sufficient information to develop goals, objectives, and the action plan

People in Police Gang Units and Neighborhoods May See Gangs

in Different Ways

Actual Gangs Are Sometimes Hard to See in Communities

Most Gangs Look Like This, Several Cliques in Social Networks

McGloin.Crips.txt

Source: McGloin, 2005

Gangs and the Youth Population

All Youth

Gang Members

Serious/Violent Gang Members

A Key Fallacy of the “Big Gang Theory”—Gangs Migrated Across the Country

In Reality, Homegrown Gangs Emerged Most Everywhere

Source: Egley et al., 2004 © Waveland Press

Jurisdictions in the Contiguous States Reporting Youth Gang Problems in One or More Years, 1999–2001

Challenging the Big Gang Theory• Most gangs are loosely organized• There is fluid movement in and out of the gang, which is

more like a social network• Gang rituals are overstated. Prime example: Initiations• The degree of bonding to gangs is exaggerated• Joining and leaving gangs is not very difficult• Few adolescents are recruited to gangs by adults• Local gangs are not connected to big city gangs

Hybrid Gang Culture

• Mixture of graffiti and symbols (cut and paste)

• Less concern over turf or territory

• Members of mixed race/ethnicity

• Members may belong to more than one gang

• Members may switch from one gang to another

Realities of Serious Violent Gangs in Large Cities

• These gangs are more criminally active than other delinquent groups

• They account for a large volume of youth crime and violence

• Youths increase their criminal and violent activity while in the gang

• Gangs are typically involved in a wide variety of crimes.

Why Conduct an Assessment or Problem Analysis?• Compile a picture of the problem which is

specific to the community

• Justify taking action

• Take actions most likely to be successful

• Ensure the best allocation of resources

• Establish a bottom line for measuring impact

• Create long-lasting solutions

Normal Human Planning:

Ready

Fire

Aim

Who Should Be Involved?

• Decision/policy makers• Line staff who understand the information• Key Agencies:

– Law Enforcement (Police, County, School)– Corrections– Probation/Parole (Juvenile & Adult)– Schools– Social Service Agencies– City/County Government

Assessment Team

• Duties– Gather data– Analyze data– Format/present data– Inform Steering Committee throughout process– Prepare Assessment Report

Six General Areas of the Assessment1) General descriptive and demographic data on the community, 2) The nature and extent of youth violence and gang crime, 3) Characteristics of school students who are involved in or at

risk of involvement in gangs,

4) Community members’ perceptions of the gang problem, and

5) Current and historical responses to the gang problem.

6) Current resources available to deter youth from joining or assist in leaving gangs

Establishing A Common Language• Definitions

– GangState Law or local definition?

– Gang crime • Member – Known gang member committed the crime• Motive – The crime was committed to benefit the gang

– Financially– Reputation

– Gang member

Youth/Street Gang DefinitionsEast Coast Gang Investigators Association:• A group or association of three or more persons • who may have a common identifying sign,

symbol, or name, and • who individually or collectively engage in, or

have engaged in, criminal activity which creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

Youth Gang Definitions, cont’dResearchers generally agree on the following criteria : • The group must have more than two members,• generally ages 12-24,• members must share some sense of identity (commonly

a name),• must view themselves as a gang & be recognized by

others as a gang,• some permanence & a degree of organization,• verbal & nonverbal forms of communication, and• involvement in an elevated level of criminal activity.

A Good Youth/Street Gang Definition for Assessment

A group that has a name, Uses symbols (colors, tattoos, hand signs, jewelry)Has some permanence in the community,Is recognized by themselves & others as a gang, &Is involved in criminal activity.

Gang Member Definition• Definitions: An individual is identified as a gang member by confirmation of at least two

(2) of the following identifying criteria: • He declares membership/participation in a known gang.• He is identified by police/other law enforcement as a gang member.• He is identified by community members as a gang member. • He is identified by school officials/teachers as a gang member. • He has established gang involvement by exhibiting behavior including: regular

associations/communication with known gang members; use of hand signs, symbols/tattoos; having/disseminating gang related documentation; and has criminal record for gang activity.

• Level 1: The individual is known to be in a gang, but no further information about this individual’s gang affiliation is known.

• Level 2: Is identified as a current member of a gang known to be involved in current (w/in past year) delinquent/criminal activity, such as: getting into fights with other gangs, stealing things, robbing other people, selling drugs, damaging/destroying property

• Level 3: Is currently a member of a delinquent/criminal gang with characteristics of organization: rites of initiation, symbols/colors designating affiliation, established leadership, rules and expected behavioral norms.

• Level 4: Is currently a member of a gang that is delinquent and organized, is known to participate in both criminal and organizational activities, and one that the individual has told the referring agency that he is a core member of.

What Information Can You Collect?• Demographics

– Changes in the past 10 years– Where? Census Bureau, www.censusbureau.gov

• Police– Incident reports

• gang versus non-gang in selected categories• Demographics of victims and suspects.

– Gang information/intelligence• What gangs are active? What is their membership? What crimes are they

committing?

• Schools– Student demographics – often online in large districts

What Information Can You Collect? (continued)

• Community

– Leader perceptions

– Resident perceptions

• Youth and Gang members

– Student surveys

– Gang member interviews

• Current resources

– Resources presently allocated to gangs

– Resources which could be allocated to gangs

Domain Data Sources•Individual

–Gang-involved youth–Other youth

Gang member interviewsStudent surveysSchool performance dataCommunity descriptors

•Family Gang member interviewsStudent surveysParent focus groupsCommunity descriptors

•Peers (Gangs) Gang member interviewsPolice crime and intelligence data

•Community

•School

Community descriptorsGang crime versus non-gang crimeCommunity resident surveyCommunity leader interviews

Student surveysSchool descriptorsSchool staff focus groups/interviews

Gang Problem Assessment Process

Step 2

Young Adults/OlderAdults/Serious andViolent Crime

Gang-involved youth

Community leaders

Residents

Resources

Mid-adolescent/less serious offenses

School-aged youth

Community leaders

Residents/parents

Resources

and/or

Step 3

Analysis and InterpretationFindings

Step 1

Gang crime analysis

What crime(s) are gang members committing?

Who is committing those crimes?(which gangs, how many members?)

Who is involved in gangs? Who’s involved in gang crimes?

What Crimes Do Gangs Commit?

Pittsburgh – East Region

Houston – East End

(% of total crimes that gangs are responsible for)

Homicide (50%)Aggravated Assault (16%) Weapons Offenses (57%)Drug Offenses (25%)

23% of total crime in selected categories

(1999-2001 for selected census tracts)

(% of total crimes that gangs are responsible for)

Homicide (17%)Rape (12%)Robbery (24%)Aggravated Assault (15%)

18% of total crime in selected categories

(1999-2001 for selected census tracts)

Every Community is Different

Pittsburgh – East Region

Houston – East End

Why do Youth Join Gangs?

Friend in the gang (33%)For money (24%)For protection (19%)Sibling in gang (14%)For fun (10%)To get respect (10%)Forced to join (5%)To fit in (0%)

Why do Youth Join Gangs?

Protection (42%)Respect (29%)For money (31%)Friends in the gang (29%)To fit in (24%)For fun (24%)Sibling in gang (15%)Forced to join (2%)

Primary Project Population:

• Age: 15-24 years • Gender: Male

• Race: African American

• Residence: East Liberty, Homewood, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington, East Hills, Garfield

• History: Criminally-involved gang member

Project Criteria

Secondary Project Population:

• Age: 12 -18 years

• Gender: Male Race: African American

• Residence: East Liberty, Homewood, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington,East Hills, Garfield

• History: Area 1 – Gang Behavior Known Gang Member

Suspected Gang Member/Family Member Area 2 – School Behavior

Chronic truancy, dropout 2 or more suspensions (fighting, assaults, weapon offense) 1 expulsion for 10 days or more for a violent/weapon offense

(Must meet one criteria from each of the two areas above)

Project Criteria

Using the Data From the Assessment

What Questions Should You Answer?

• Who is involved in gangs?

• What crimes are gangs committing?

• Which gangs are the most criminally active?

• Why are youth joining gangs?

• What factors in the community are causing gangs to flourish?

• What is already being done?

• What steps can be most successful in reducing gang activity?

Reporting to Your Community

• Information on gangs provided to key agencies, policy makers, and community residents.

• This information is used to guide a response to the problem based upon hard information.

Developing A Plan• Identify primary problems caused by gangs in the

community• Identify proper targets for prevention, intervention,

and suppression.• Select activities specific to the problems and targets.• Assign responsibility for activities• Identify needed services, programs, staff, etc.

An Effective Community Response• Targeted, rather than broad.• Incorporates prevention, intervention, and

suppression.• Doesn’t reinvent the wheel or duplicate existing

activities.• Ongoing information collection.

– Gangs are flexible and adaptive, we must be, too.

• Information is power, and we are more powerful when we share it.

Recommended Activities• OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model

Suppression• Targeted Law Enforcement response to the problems

caused by gangs...• Places, times, events, and specific criminal activities.

– Social Intervention:• Addresses social problems that lead to gang involvement• Drug and alcohol addiction• Mental health• Family problems

Recommended Activities

• OJJDP Comprehensive Gang ModelOpportunities Provision

• Employment and educational opportunities are crucial

– Community Mobilization• Community residents are involved in solving the

problem.

– Organizational Change and Development• Organizations continuously adapting to the problem.

Resources Documents• A Guide to Assessing Your Community's Youth

Gang Problem

• Planning for Implementation

• Access these at– The National Youth Gang Center

Institute for Intergovernmental ResearchTallahassee, FLTelephone: (850) 385-0600Web site: www.iir.com/nygc

Resource Documents (Free Downloads at NYGC)

• Howell, J. C., and Egley, A., Jr. (2005). Gangs in Small Towns and Rural Counties. NYGC Bulletin. National Youth Gang Center. (NYGC home Web page: www.iir.com/nygc)

• Frequently Asked Questions About Gangs (and answers) (NYGC home Web page: www.iir.com/nygc)

• Howell, J. C., Egley, A., Jr., and Gleason, D. K. (2002). Modern Day Youth Gangs. Washington, DC: OJJDP.

• Starbuck, D., Howell, J. C., and Lindquist, D. J. (2001). Into the Millennium: Hybrids and Other Modern Gangs. Washington, DC: OJJDP.

Errika Fearbry JonesDirector

Gang Free Schools ProjectPittsburgh Public Schools

341 South Bellefield Avenue, Rm 424Pittsburgh, PA 15213ejones2@pghboe.net

412-622-3921