NCJ Number
157863
Date Published
1993
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video uses interviews, live video action, and charts to show how the town of Aurora, Colorado, developed a community-wide program to counter and prevent gang activity.
Abstract
The narrator notes that Aurora has experienced a 94-percent increase in gang-related crime and is the site for 25 percent of the gangs in the Denver area. Aurora's gangs represent all socioeconomic strata and ethnic groups; there are Asian gangs, skinheads, African-American gangs, interracial gangs, and middle- class gangs. Gang behaviors manifest a fascination with violence, money, and power. All disputes are settled with guns. The problem of violence is so serious that local medical facilities view death and injuries from gun shots as a public health problem. Following a review of the extent and nature of the gang problem in Aurora, the video profiles the work of the police department's Gang Intervention Unit and the Aurora Gang Task Force. Whereas, the Gang Intervention Unit focuses on the law enforcement role in countering gangs. The Gang Task Force identifies, develops, and coordinates community resources to prevent and reduce the impact of gangs in the community. The work of the various Task Force committees is described and portrayed. A discussion guide accompanies the video.