NCJ Number
169629
Date Published
1995
Length
255 pages
Annotation
Intended for use as a guide to understanding slang commonly used by gang members, this dictionary contains more than 5,400 words and phrases.
Abstract
The dictionary indicates that gang slang can be offensive or related to the occult, that gang slang often reflects the importance of clothing, and that gang slang is associated with drug dealing and graffiti. An effort is made to include as many variations as possible of a word or a phrase in defining slang used by gangs. The dictionary is intended to help police officers, prosecutors, probation and parole officers, teachers, medical personnel, and parents understand what gang members are saying, read and decipher graffiti, read gang letters and other written communications, solve crimes, prevent violence, and determine motivations for gang-related violence. Provisions of California's Street Terrorism, Enforcement and Prevention (STEP) Act and a list of dates that may be significant to gangs are appended. 58 references