NCJ Number
179759
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 10 Dated: October 1999 Pages: 192-197
Date Published
1999
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Police officers need to understand the nature of supergangs, which are large street-based gangs that engage in significant criminal activity; have hierarchies, elders, elites, and hardcore members who call themselves Original Gangsters OGs); and have an organizational structure that supports drug trafficking.
Abstract
Gang members range in age from the 30's to the 50's. Social work techniques may be appropriate for younger wannabes, whereas hardcore older members should be targeted as career criminals. Police should apply criminal analysis and organized crime and narcotics investigative techniques to supergang drug marketing. Accurate intelligence on gang members and criminal groups such as supergangs remains the starting point for effective policy and practice. Police efforts should focus on gang social psychology, social networking, and gang member participation. Police can apply criminal analysis and analytical techniques across geographical, demographic, and jurisdictional boundaries. The criminal information cycle of collection, analysis, and dissemination can aid in the identification and arrest of career gang criminals. Analytical techniques that can aid in distinguishing wannabes from the OGs include crime mapping, event flow analysis, association analysis, and commodity analysis. Visual investigative analysis charts can define enforcement options after the data is analyzed. Police can plan and set priorities related to the application of conspiracy laws, Organized Control Act of 1970, and the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986. Coordination with other police agencies, sharing intelligence, and threat assessment can all make a difference. Photograph and figures