Gang-related violence continues to garner headlines in the news media -- and rightly so -- especially the emerging, more organized gangs of criminal illegal aliens who prey on US citizens and illegal immigrants alike.
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, released by the US Department of Justice last June, gang members committed about 373,000 of the 6.6 million violent victimizations. Nonfatal violent acts measured include rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Victims believed that perpetrators were not gang members in 55% of all nonfatal violent crimes between 1998 and 2003, and victims were unsure of gang affiliation in 37%.
Males experienced violence attributed to gang members at higher rates than those of females. Hispanic victims of violence identified the offenders as gang members at a higher rate than non-Hispanic victims, and blacks at a higher rate than whites, for the period between 1993 and 2003.
Victims believed the offenders were gang members in about 12% of all aggravated assaults that occurred between 1993 and 2003. Offenders were identified as gang members in
about 4% of rapes, 10% of robberies, and 6% of simple assaults.
Between 1993 and 2003 younger victims of violence were more likely than older victims to believe the perpetrator was a gang member. Offenders were perceived to be gang members
in 12% of violent crimes against those age 12 -19. The offender was identified as a gang member in about 6% of violent crimes against persons age 20-49 and in about 4% of
violent crimes against those age 50 or older.
Urban victims were more likely than suburban or rural victims to identify offenders as gang members. Police were as likely to be notified when the victims believed the offender not to be a gang member (45% of violence reported to the police) as when they believed the
offender belonged to a gang (47% reported).
Of the violence that victims believed gang members committed between 1993 and 2003, a lone offender accounted for about 54% and more than one offender, 46%.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, each year between 1993 and 2003, from 5% to 7% of all homicides and from 8% to 10% of homicides committed with a firearm were gang related.
Sources: National Justice Institute, US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, American Federation of Police & Concerned Citizens, National Association of Chiefs of Police Gang Violence Committee
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for a number of organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores. Kouri holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice and master of arts in public administration and he's a board certified protection professional.
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