NCJ Number
213597
Journal
Journal of Gang Research Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: Winter 2006 Pages: 27-36
Date Published
2006
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the criminal activities and the threat posed by outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Abstract
In contrast to recent popular portrayals of outlaw motorcycle gangs as groups of harmless, misunderstood outcasts, the author contends that outlaw motorcycle gang members are dangerous criminals who are heavily involved in the international drug trade, particularly methamphetamine. Previous research on the criminal activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs, particularly Hells Angeles, is presented as evidence of the author’s argument. Research from the National Drug Intelligence Center from 2002 and 2003 illustrates the increasing methamphetamine problem in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, which identifies outlaw motorcycle gangs as the principal dealers and traffickers of the drug in all three States. The author describes how outlaw motorcycle gangs gain power in prisons through criminal “business” contacts and how they hold their power by exploiting criminal street gangs like the “Bloods” and Crips,” who are used to shield the outlaw motorcycle gangs from law enforcement. Their tactics for creating legitimacy in society are examined and range from establishing legitimate businesses to gaining education and making generous charitable donations. The public is urged to see outlaw motorcycle gangs for what they are and to break the mystic and acceptance these groups have managed to gain. References