NCJ Number
148880
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 16 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1992) Pages: 60-62
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Using a computerized gang tracking program, a California police officer was able to contact five gang members responsible for extensive graffiti.
Abstract
The program, referred to as GOCAP (Gang Offender Comprehensive Action Program), began in 1991 and is funded by Federal grants from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The GOCAP is designed to provide a central clearinghouse for information about gang members, including their criminal records and current probation status, so that police officers can deal with gang-related crime. The program also helps other law enforcement agencies, such as probation and prosecution, identify, track, and prosecute gang offenders. Oxnard, California, has 23 identifiable gangs that have formed at different times in the city. The Oxnard Police Department uses the GOCAP to identify and track repeat offenders. The city also uses computerized techniques to identify and monitor gang members and conducts gang awareness programs. Police officials work with other agencies on the gang problem, and the GOCAP facilitates such cooperation.