1. Comprehensive Gang Model

2. 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

3. What do you know about your community’s gang situation?
The Assessment

4. 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

5. People in Police Gang Units and Neighborhoods May See Gangs in Different Ways

6. Actual Gangs Are Sometimes Hard to See in Communities

8. Most Gangs Look Like This, Several Cliques in Social Networks

9. Source: McGloin, 2005

10. Gangs and the Youth Population
All Youth
Serious/Violent Gang Members
Gang Members

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

12. In Reality, Homegrown Gangs Emerged Most Everywhere
Jurisdictions in the Contiguous States Reporting Youth Gang Problems in One or More Years, 1999–2001
Source: Egley et al., 2004 © Waveland Press

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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

17. Normal Human Planning:
Ready
Fire
Aim

18. 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

19. Duties Assessment Team Gather data Analyze data Format/present data
Inform Steering Committee throughout process
Prepare Assessment Report

20. Six General Areas of the Assessment
1) 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

21. Establishing A Common Language
Definitions
Gang
State 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

22. Youth/Street Gang Definitions
East 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.

23. Youth Gang Definitions, cont’d
Researchers 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. What Information Can You Collect?
Demographics
Changes in the past 10 years
Where? Census Bureau,
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

27. 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

28. Domain Data Sources Individual Family Peers (Gangs) Community School
Gang-involved youth
Other youth
Gang member interviews Student surveys School performance data Community descriptors
Family
Gang member interviews Student surveys Parent focus groups Community descriptors
Peers (Gangs)
Gang member interviews Police crime and intelligence data
Community
School
Community descriptors Gang crime versus non-gang crime Community resident survey Community leader interviews Student surveys School descriptors School staff focus groups/interviews

29. Gang Problem Assessment Process
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?
Step 2
Young Adults/Older
Adults/Serious and
Violent Crime
Gang-involved youth
Community leaders
Residents
Resources
Mid-adolescent/less serious offenses
School-aged youth
Residents/parents
and/or
Step 3
Analysis and Interpretation
Findings

30. 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
( for selected census tracts)
Homicide (17%) Rape (12%) Robbery (24%) Aggravated Assault (15%)
18% of total crime in selected categories

31. 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%)
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%)

32. Project Criteria 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

33. 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)

34. Using the Data From the Assessment

35. 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?

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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

40. Recommended Activities
OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model
Opportunities 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.

41. 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 Research Tallahassee, FL Telephone: (850) Web site:

42. 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:
Frequently Asked Questions About Gangs (and answers) (NYGC home Web page:
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.

43. Errika Fearbry Jones Director Gang Free Schools Project Pittsburgh Public Schools 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Rm 424 Pittsburgh, PA