Community Gang Prevention Team Survey

• NCJ Number: 194717
• Author(s): John Crank; Wendy Christensen
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): 96-IJ-CX-0085
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

This report presents findings from a survey of Ada County (Idaho) citizens to obtain their views about drugs, gangs, and youth in their neighborhoods and in Ada County generally.

Abstract

Residents were asked about 28 crime-related problems. The five most frequently cited were speeding, profanity by students in public areas, teen use of drugs or alcohol, a lack of recreation for youth, and unsupervised youth. A majority of respondents stated that drug dealing on the streets was a problem where they lived, and 42 percent of residents stated there were gang shootings and violence where they lived. Twenty percent stated they had directly observed gang activity, and the same percentage had observed drug activity. Respondents viewed the following agencies and community efforts as the most helpful in addressing problems with drugs and gangs: the police, churches and church-sponsored activities, community action programs, the YMCA, and DARE programs. These agencies and groups were also viewed as the most helpful in countering the drug problem. Most residents engaged in activities outside their houses and in the neighborhood. Less than one-fourth believed that their neighborhood was becoming more dangerous. In recommending strategies for responding to youth gangs and drug use, respondents included the following: education, parental involvement, instruction in parenting skills, more supervision of youth, improved social/recreational activities for youth, hold parents accountable for their children's law violations, and improved public awareness programs. Appended detailed data on survey responses