The questionnaire used in the study defines a gang as a group of three or more individuals with a unique name and other identifying attributes that is committed to crime. Eighty percent of survey respondents reported that one or more gangs were currently active in their jurisdictions. A total of 550 gangs with 14,500 members were reported for 62 counties. A total of 449 gangs were reported to have links with larger groups or with gangs outside the State. Of the 116 of the 161 survey respondents who provided information on gang ties to organized crime groups, nearly one-half indicated that some of the gangs in their jurisdictions interacted with other organized crime groups. The most commonly reported gang crimes were drug possession (65 percent) followed by vandalism (62 percent), assaults (58 percent), and weapons-related offenses (53 percent). Only a few gangs were involved with sexual assault and motor vehicle theft. Fifty-eight of the 161 respondents reported that their agencies currently have operational gang units. Fifty-two percent of the agencies track and monitor gang activities, with 66 percent reporting that they compile additional intelligence data on individual gang members. As of September 2007, only 37 percent of the responding agencies were using the GangNet database system, with an additional 78 percent reporting plans to join this network in the future. GangNet is an Internet-based law enforcement intelligence-sharing database on known gang members who meet at least 2 of 11 criteria for gang membership or who have self-reported their gang membership. 2 tables, 8 figures, 87 references, policy recommendations, and appended description of a gang-reduction project
Comprehensive Assessment of Gangs in North Carolina: A Report to the General Assembly
NCJ Number
222607
Date Published
March 2008
Length
187 pages
Annotation
This report fulfills the North Carolina General Assembly's request in 2007 for the State Governor's Crime Commission to conduct a comprehensive statewide assessment of the nature and extent of gang activities in the State as well as the types of gang programs in each jurisdiction.
Abstract