National CSI      

Counter Street Gangs Intelligence

Consulting Solutions Inc.   

We are the National CSI consulting and training specialist. We are a National and International consulting firm addressing timely issues. We specialize in Cultural Diversity, Violent Street Gangs, Domestic Terrorist, Youth Violence, Weapons on Campus, Bullying, Youth and community motivation.  We are often requested to address: community concerns. Our Clients are: Law Enforcement, Educators, Parole, Probation, Corrections, Community Organizations, Social Service Groups, Senior Citizens, Business Community, Concerned Youth, Faith-Based Organizations
 

Federal CSI 2042930-03            NJ CSI  CC  021770116-791-695                  Del CSI  - 1738524

Teachers and Support Staff are eyes and ears of the school. Therefore, employees need to know what information to channel and who to channel it to. Staff should always gather as much information as possible before presenting it to the administration.

For the purpose of understanding, the Staff shall include the following: 

Teachers, Counselors, Bus Drivers, Maintenance Personnel, Security Officers, Hall Monitors, Clerical Support Staff, Crossing Guards, etc. 

Documentation is very important. Also, be as low keyed as possible. Drawing attention to the gathering of documentation could cause more harm than good.

Notify Administration of:

1. Vandalism

2. Graffiti (Street Newspaper) both on premises or on student's personal belongings: books, papers, etc.

3. Defiance

4. Fights

5. Threats, Harassment, Extortion, Assaults, Intimidation, etc.

6. Possession of weapons, drugs, or large sums of money.

7. Truancy

8. Non-Student presence on or near campus.

9. Keep administrators informed of rumors of gang activities: nicknames, types of graffiti, hand signs or gestures.

Notify Counselor of:

1. Change in personality, 2. Change in dress, 3. Poor attendance, 4. Tattoos, 5. Signs of abuse/Child mentions abuse, 6. Change in academic performance. 

Educator must keep in mind that kids in crisis are not impressed with their educational degrees, because they have Street Degrees which is just as great, and as valuable, if not more.

Gang members may or may not be book smart, but you can be sure that they are Street Smart. 

They are not impressed with your degrees for they have their own. Lets look at their Street degrees:

1. A.A. Degree: Is the kid who is just getting involved with gangs for the first time (Wanna bee)

2. B.A. Degree: The kid who has the confidence to pull the trigger, to steal and vandalize, and to rape.

3. M.A. Degree: Is the kid who coerces other kids to do what he needs to have done.

4. Ph.D. Degree: The kid with the "Pimp Hustler Degree.". This is the kid or adult you seldom see getting into trouble, often never have any negative contact with the police or school.

He/She's the person who calls the shots, deals drugs, puts out contacts and does it all.

POSSIBLE FACTORS LEADING TO ADOLESCENT GANG INVOLVEMENT

Low self esteem, Low grades, Little extra curricular/school involvement, Poor communication skills, Poor decision making skills, No involvement in extra curricular (community based programs), Dysfunctional families Single parent families Philosophical/ethnic attractiveness of gangs.

Kids desperately seeking identity.

Poor attendance Significant other or sibling gang affiliation

Deprived socioeconomic factors leading to lack of meaningful activities

Use of drugs (early drug involvement)

Seeking respect Environmental survival Various psychological factors (should be the subject of considerable study)

DENIAL OF GANGS

People deny the existence of gangs for many reasons, such as:

• Our real-estate will go down
• It will knock out our tourist attraction
• We are Uneducated in this area
• We are not equipped to deal with such a thing
• It will place a stigma on our community
• I use to be in a gang and its not so bad,
• Oh No, Not my child;
• Its Society’s fault;
• Businesses are to blame for not employing our youth;
• They’ll grown out of it;
• Its the communities problem;
• Its an Inner-City problem;
• Its the schools (teachers) fault;
• Everyone is to blame but me;
• Its only Graffiti;
• Unemployment is to blame;
• The survey was wrong;
• What is his/her educational background on the subject;
• The problem will go away, if we leave it alone;
• That’s just a group of juveniles;
• I us to cut school with my friends, what’s the big deal?
• He/She’s lying - No gangs here
• They did not speak to anyone on my street about the survey
• What type of assessment was conducted?
• Oh, that’s just youth violence
• It the religious community to blame
• Our school is gang and drug free

and this list goes on and on.

WHO IS LIKELY TO JOIN A GANG?

Young people in trouble cry out for help in different ways. Some of those pleas for help are dangerous - running away, becoming involved with devil worship, gangs, hate groups, drugs or becoming sexually promiscuous. Some youths act tough, others commit suicide. But crises don't just happen. They develop gradually. Recognizing these warning signs may help a youth resist serious
trouble, including joining a gang.

Be mindful of the ever present adult gang members who mentor young juveniles. These warnings include:

Rumors or reliable information that a youth has not been home for several nights

Evidence of increased substance abuse

Abrupt changes in personality and behavior

Newly acquired and unexplained "wealth" often showered on or shared with peers anything from sharing bags of candy with younger children to a flurry of more extravagant spending by young adults) Requests to borrow money "Hanging around," but being unable to discuss the problem Evidence of mental or physical child abuse A dress code that applies to a few: i.e., wearing of a color, style or item of clothing, a particular hair style, and symbols of identification.

HOW ARE GANG MEMBERS IDENTIFIED

Most gang members are PROUD of their gang and freely admit their membership. Many display tattoos openly and dress in a style identifying their particular gang. Their personal belongings are frequently covered with graffiti (AKA: Street News Paper) and bear the gang's logo and the member's gang name. Many individuals on the fringe of gang involvement are reluctant to identify themselves as gang members. They often state that their friends are gang members but they are not. However, rival gang members, shooting from a speeding car, do not make a distinction between a gang member and his or her associates.

PRE-CRISIS INDICATORS

1. Sudden self-segregation

2. Clustering of rival groups

3. Unusual movement of a group from its normal "territory"

4. Student attending school events that they normally do not attend

5. Isolated racial fights

6. Incident or disorder in the community at large

7. Disproportionate number of disciplinary actions

8. Discovery of weapons in or around school

9. Increased incidents on buses and along bus routes

10. Increased conflicts

11. Warnings of custodial, cafeteria, and transportation personnel

12. Parents coming to school to withdraw their children in fear of what might happen.

13. Students protecting siblings

14. Increase in graffiti on walls, textbooks/papers, and "X-ing" out of graffiti on fences, etc.

15. Excessive change in clothing color and styles and use of numerals. How they are worn and who they wear it with.

16. Use of hand signals

17. Appearance of tattoos

18. Use of nicknames. Matching nicknames with graffiti lists

19. Possess large amounts of money without parent awareness

II. GANG PREVENTION SUGGESTIONS

1. Parents watch on the way home whenever possible

2. Parents at bus stops

3. Invite parents of disruptive students to observe their children on campus

4. Written clear rules and regulations

5. Develop an attitude of strict enforcement of rules and regulations

6. Do not allow the street news paper

7. Remove the street news paper first thing in the morning after you have recorded it

8. No writing place in bathrooms or classrooms for graffiti AKA: street news paper

9. Examine neighborhood news papers

10. Develop a street newspaper file

11. High visibility of administrative staff, counselors, and teachers

12. Known names

13. High level of security visible in the lunchroom

14. Issue visible identification to all student and staff personal while in school.

15. Clean Campus

16. Short period of time between classes

17. Locker bays secured

18. Keep staff informed

19. Deal with rumors as if they were true (tell the truth)

20. Isolate combatants

21. Collect student profiles: Take pictures!!

22. Remain calm

23. Make written statements

24. Develop "Jump Out" support groups

25. Set up a security committee for school and community to adopt security strategies

26. Get to know the gang members on your campus

27. Hold students accountable for their actions

ALWAYS DEAL WITH AN INDIVIDUAL - DON'T DEAL WITH THEM IN FRONT OF THEIR PEERS - THAT WILL VALIDATE THE "GANG" WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANT, AND IT COULD ALSO GET YOU KILLED!!

TIPS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF GANG ACTIVITY

Following is a list of "tips" for school personnel to utilize for recognition of possible gang activity. Obviously, this list is not all inclusive and the existence of these behaviors or facts does not positively guarantee that gang activity is occurring.

I. COMMUNICATIONS:

a. Use of gestures and hand signs to distinguish affiliation to a gang.

b. Notes and messages written on school lockers, notebooks, etc.

c. Graffiti on notebooks, desks, walls, public telephones and other school property.

d. Use of gang language AKA: Streetology such as "homeboy", "Chilling", "Tree Jumper", "Juice", "Slob (blood)", and "Cuz (Crip)".

e. Whistling at each other.

f. Use of gang nicknames.

II. DRESS AND APPEARANCE:

a. Hairstyles such as crew-cuts for Skinheads.

b. Slogans on clothing

c. Ball caps such as L.A. Raiders, Chicago Bulls, New York Yankees with the lettering on the back of the hat

d. Red, blue, yellow, green, white, or black shoe laces.

e. Red, blue, yellow, green, white, or black rags (colors).

f. Red, blue, yellow, green, white, or black suspenders.

g. British Knight shoes.

h. Shoes painted any of the above colors to include boots.

i. Work boots and suspenders.

j. Bomber type jackets.

k. Wearing of gold jewelry

l. Carrying pages, cellular phones (used for drug business).

m. Wearing of athletic jackets (colors)

n. Wearing of large finger rings with block letters.

o. Tattoos or marks on skin.

III. DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR/CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

a. Students involved in fights and altercations.

b. Students complaining of harassment.

c. Extortion attempts.

d. Vandalism.

e. Reports of problems with weapons or weapons on campus

f. Drug activity on campus

g. Non-student presence on/or near campus

h. Grouping or "clicks", "posses", "crews", "cartels", "organizations", "families", on campus.

IV. OTHER:

a. Driving expensive cars (high school).

b. Possession of large amount of currency.

c. Rumors of gang activity.

DEFINITIONS GANG NAMES

Many gangs adopt names that have significance when related to their neighborhood (street names,

hills, valleys, housing projects, and occasionally regional names)

NICKNAMES:

Most gang members adopt nicknames when recruited into the group if they do not already have one.

The gang tends to select a name that fits the individual's physical or psychological characteristics.

JUMP-INS:

Take 30 to 60 seconds. Accomplished by committing drive-by, felony crimes, stealing cars. Jump-ins are most frequently initiated by fighting gang members one at a time or 4-6 members at a time or the whole group. Used to get jumped by gang members but this no longer happens.

WANNA BE:

Picks on students, graffiti start-fights, shows disrespect to teachers.

DON'T WANNA BE:

Count on adults to create a safe environment.

I HAVE TO BE:

Get beat up, parent threatened.

I AM:

Wear the signs, hard core

TERRORIZING:

Group to protect themselves from criminal gangs.

RECRUITING:

Accomplished in school and neighborhood

HOW AND WHY THEY GOT THIS WAY IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS HOW MANY AND WHAT "WE" ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM !!

Our responsibility is to provide a safe, secure environment

PARENTING TIPS

PREVENTION

Prevention is the key to controlling gang activity. Many parents are unaware that their children are involved in gang activity. Many of the younger gang members are not aware of the realities of the violence associated with gang membership or the finality of death. Parents should look for changes in behavior patterns of their children. Such changes include truancy, a decline in grades, changing of friends, late hours, graffiti in their bedrooms, and other indications of gang involvement.

SUGGESTION

1. Hold steadfast to home rules. 2. Quality time with kids - just for them.

3. Require kids to call if they are going to be late. 4. Listen to your child and their friends

5. Communicate with parents of children's friends. 6. Remember Icebox Love

7. Use tough love when appropriate

8. Hold your kids as well as the police, educators and politicians more accountable for their  actions.

9. Tell kids to just say No, but teach of the many beautiful things they can say Yes, to and why.

START NEIGHBORHOOD EYE WATCH OR BLOCK WATCH PROGRAMS

Make every attempt to get the police involved, but if denial persists, move forward without them, for you can make a difference.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Take elementary students to college/high school games to promote interest in sports and education.

2. Host gang free parties (kids can't go outside until ready to leave)

3. Promote Neighborhood Night Out (block parties)

4. Promote family activities

5. Be open minded, learn as much as you can about the kids and adults in your community who stay in trouble or maybe in gangs

REMEMBER:

The courts will to some degree hold parents accountable for their child's actions, to include fines.

NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT

Gangs attempt to instill fear. They intimidate rivals and citizens alike. The gang's power grows through the use of fear, denial, and intimidation. This can be countered by citizen action groups such as the Neighborhood Watch. A neighborhood that is united and dedicated in the spirit of cooperation toward stopping crime and violence will greatly hamper a gang's efforts to flourish.

The following pages are characteristic of gang involvement, some young adults who join or associate with gangs

DO NOT dress in the traditional gang clothes and DO NOT exhibit conspicuous behavior that indicates gang involvement. Parents must be aware of the behavior and activities of their children. Continual behavior and communication interaction between parents and youth is imperative as a means to prevent gang membership.

Identification or affiliation with gangs usually does not happen overnight. Pre-gang behavior usually begins at the elementary school age.

WARNING SIGNS FOR PARENTS

BEWARE IF YOUR CHILD IS:

1. Buying (or wants you to buy) an excessive amount of color wardrobe, all one or two colors.

2. Wearing sagging pants on hips or waist (could be a fad).

3. Wearing an excessive amount of gold jewelry.

4. Using excessive amount of gang expression.

5. Withdrawing from family members.

6. Associating with undesirables.

7. Staying out later than usual.

8. Desiring too much privacy.

9. Developing, major attitude problems with parents, teachers, or those in authority.

10. Starting to drink alcohol or use drugs.

11. Using hand signs.

12 Receiving money or articles without your permission or awareness.

13. Acting unusual

14. Hanging out with kids who have often been in trouble with police or school.

15. Black, Red and or Green candles in the bed room.

16. May have hate fliers or related skinhead material.

17. Posters on bed room wall relating to the darkside.

18. May have heavy rap or heavy metal music are also signs Note: not all rap or heavy metal music is

negative.

19. Your child watches TV shows that is very negative in nature.

 PARENTS:

1. You can not wait until your child turns 14,15, or 16 to start raising them. You must start at age 2 months.

2. You must hold kids more accountable for their actions.

3. Even though you have a busy schedule, you must take time for you child, school events etc.

4. A family meeting once a week is very important to everyone in the house.

5. Remember you will answer to a higher authority if you fail to raise your child properly or you

purposely do something to hurt them (The highest court above this world.)

 ADVICE FOR YOUR CHILDREN-DO NOT:

1. Associate with gang members.

2. Associate with wanna-bee gang members.

3. Identify with community gang.

4. Hang out or gather or street corners in groups where gangs are active.

5. Approach individuals in cars who seemly want information (this could be a drive by shooting or set-up).

6. Wearing any color or clothing gang related (keep neutral in dress).

7. Wear designer clothing that exposed initials of designer (many gangs have assigned their own

definitions to certain initials, such as: B.K. = Blood Killer, K.C.=Crip Killer, Jive Percenters =

Negative Five Percenters who are actively involved in drugs and violence, FBI= Fuck home Boys up

Intentionally, RFN= Rock Fearless Nation, RHS= Rolling Hard Sisters, SAP= Seawall Avenue Posse,

MBI= Malicious Bitches In Effect, and WIS = Wise Intelligent Sisters, MW = Most Wanted and the

names go on.

8. Attend parties or social events of known or Wanna-be gang members.

9. Take part in Street News Paper writing or strike outs.

10. Hang out around News paper marked areas.

11. Use or hang around with people who hold, use or sell drugs.

12 Use or hang around with people who hold, who criminally worship the devil.

GANG IDENTIFICATION THROUGH BALL CAPS AND JACKETS

1. NEW YORK YANKEE: Blue, usually worn by CRIPS (hats and jackets) has reputation - for new,

young, and "Wanna be" gangs. EAST COAST CRIPS.

2. RAIDER JACKETS: "New" gang member. Any gang can wear this means "I'm going to be somebody"

there is reputation with this cap also.

3. HOUSTON ASTROS: Blue - worn by Crips - Hoover Street "H" on hat.

4. GREEN CAPS: Sign for money "all about the dead presidents". Money making street gangs.

5. CINCINNATI REDS: Worn by rival gangs of Crips. Very disrespectful with a "C" on a red had. Red primarily Blood color.

6. AN "X": Although any letter of a gang (name letter) is highly disrespectful and can be looked upon as a threat.

7. SAINTS CAPS & JACKETS: Yellow and black colors for the Jive Percenters. Look for other symbols.

8. CELTIC JACKETS: Green and White are also colors of the above stated gang.

9. BULLS CAPS & JACKETS: Red is the color of the FBI gang, Most Wanted and the nationally known Blood gang.

10. PURPLE & YELLOW: These are the colors for the MBI (Malicious Bitches In Effect) an all female gang known for weapons and drugs sales.

11. BLACK & WHITE: These are the colors of the 8 ball Posse. This gang use a black on white jacket with a large number 8 in the form of a pool ball.

12. RED, WHITE, BLACK Colors identified with the nationally YELLOW & GREEN: known skinheads of America, and Eastern Hammer.

13. KANSAS CITY ROYALS: The letters K.C. have been changed to mean Killer. Disrespectful

14. LA DODGERS CAP: Worn by the New York Boyz

15. DETROIT TIGER CAP: Worn by Durock Crips in Monrovia Navy Blue.

16. RED AND WHITE: Colors used by the Klu Klux Klan.

17. RED, BLACK, & GREEN: Satanic in nature, Devil Worship.

ROLE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

The youth gang crime poses a difficult challenge to American law enforcement. A significant proportion of violent and other serious crimes is committed by both young and adult gang members. Gang crime evokes fear and anxiety in many communities and an uneasy and strong response from government officials and the media, placing special pressures on the police. The problem is complex because it has both criminal and social aspects, and requires a comprehensive response that goes beyond traditional police activity. It is a well known fact that most police officers have no idea as to what a gang is or how to identify a gang; yet they know from  patrolling the streets that something is not right when they start to see more and more juveniles and young adults walking in groups and serving no purpose other than crime involvement.

Law enforcement officers working in the trenches readily admit that a small gang problem exists but, still find themselves going back to the denial stage, because the police brass or politicians refuse to acknowledge the presence of gangs for one or more of the following reasons.

1. Denial.

2. Lack of gang education.

3. Fear, loss of revenue (beaches, parks, amusements etc.).

4. Loss of property value (home, businesses etc.).

5. Have no idea as to how to address the gang problem.

6. Political suicide (if I admit gangs, I'll not get re-elected to office).

7. I must agree with the politicians or I will not get promoted to my next highest rank.

8. If I ignore the problem, it may go away.

THE FIRST THING THE POLICE CAN DO

1. Conduct an assessment of the community

a. Character and scope of youth gang crime

b. Data on gang crime to be collected

c. Sources of information

d. Reporting, coordinating, verifying, mechanizing and analyzing official data

e. Assessment of community resources

Not all street gangs are drug related in nature. Assessment of the problem is therefore necessary to identify distinctive aspects of gang crime requiring targeted law enforcement attention and resources.

Example of the types of Gangs one may encounter:

1. Turf Gangs 2. Drug Gangs 3. Motorcycle Gangs 4. Money Assault Gangs

5. Satanic Gangs 6. Hate Gangs 7. Criminal Information Gangs (CIA)

8. Sex Posse (Gangs) Spur Posse
9. Extremist Groups to the far Right & Left

10. Terrorist Groups (Domestic and International)

Two types of assessment activities are needed:

First an assessment which collects and analyzes meaningful data on gang crimes from various official and non-official sources.

Second an assessment or community resource analysis, which focuses not only on what law enforcement does but what a variety of community agencies can do collaboratively to address the gang crime problem.

Certain information is required to determine whether a gang problem exists, and if it does, its scope and character. The problem is expected to vary in emerging and chronic cities. An important first step is to understand the nature of the problem in operational terms; i.e., to develop definitions of the terms gang, gang member, and gang incident.

Keep in mind, that any true assessment that is conducted should be hands-on (face to face) and not a written survey. Also a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that the gang member could care less about your definition or how you use it. For they will continue their activities so long as their is something in it for them.

Every organization has its rules and regulations, the gangs are not the exceptions. No matter what gang you deal with they will have at least the following rules:

1. Supreme loyalty to the gang

2. Sharing of criminal profits

3. Never inform on a fellow gang member (bangers)

4. Always side with the gang, no matter what

5. Abide by the code of honor

6. Must past a test of acceptance

7. Never speak to the police or anyone in authority about the gang

8. Denial of the gang when ever possible

A NATIONAL STREET GANG PROFILE

1. Sex: is both male and female

2. RACE: White, Latino, Asian, Black, and Indian.

3. Average age: 8 - 24 years

4. Weapons: Knife, Gun, Bleach, or street weapons

5. Graffiti: AKA: Street Newspapers (Signs, symbols, etc.)

6. Involvement: Criminal Mischief to Murder

7. Some are anti-establishment and/or anti-police

8. National Recruitment Location is the schools during the month of April - July.

9. Hangouts: Parks, Beaches, Malls, Street Corners, Recreation Centers, Fast Food places, Schools

Bars, Arcades, and the like.

WORKING GANG DEFINITION

The following definition is used and accepted by the National Concerned Officers Organization, and has been recognized and accepted by the several states as a working definition of a street gang.

1. Street Gang. An ongoing organization, crew, posse, cartel, association, or group of three (3) or more

persons, whether formal or informal, which meet the following criteria:

A. Has a common name or common identifying signs, colors, or symbols, and

B. has members or associates who, individually or collectively, engage in, or have engaged, in criminal activity.

2. Youth and Street Gang Member - A person who meets any TWO of the following criteria:

A. Admits to gang membership.

B. Is a youth up to age 18 who is identified as a gang member by a parent or guardian.

C. Is identified as a gang member by a documented reliable informant; or a reliable person who is

known to the officer who is not a listed informant.

D. Resides in, or frequents, a particular gang's area and adopts their style of dress, use of and signs, symbols, or tattoos, and associates with known gang members.

E. Is identified as a gang member by an informant of previously untested reliability, and it is corroborated by independent information.

F. Has been arrested more then once in the company of identified gang members for offenses which are consistent with usual gang activity.

G. Is identified as a gang member by physical evidence such as photographs or other documentation.

H. Has been stopped or observed in the company of known gang members four (4) or more times.

I. Information must be confirmed by trained police or a reliable source.

J. Any adult 19 years or older, who also meets any or part of the above criteria.

THE NEED FOR SPECIALIZATION:

Gang violence has reached epidemic proportions and poses a serious threat to society. The insidious growth of gang activity, including both planned and unplanned gang violence, does not lend itself to either a simple or lasting solution. Even saturating a gang-impacted area with patrol forces has only a limited degree of success, and then, for just a short period of time. It is evident, therefore, that if any real progress is going to be made to secure society against the threat of gangs; it will have to be through the use of sophisticated, specialized law enforcement or civilian units, SPECIALLY TRAINED in combating those elements. The nature, size, techniques, and other matters relative to the formation of such units will depend upon the severity of the problem within the community and the resources that the community itself is willing to dedicate to solving the problem it faces.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Before a gang unit can be formed, decisions must be faced with reference to what goals and objectives can be realistically expected and attained. One foremost problem, as stated earlier, is a lack of sufficient resources, and, that limitation will shape what can be done. Even so, realistic forethought and planning can go far in developing a unit which can be both efficient and cost effective, proactive instead of reactive.

The following is a list of typical questions which one may be asked:

Q. What will be the unit's primary function?

Q. Will the unit be responsible for criminal investigation of all gang cases?

Q. Will the unit be a police or civilian organization?

Q. Will the unit handle field enforcement operations and patrol gang areas to curtail violence?

Q. Will the unit operate as a monitoring section, compiling and disseminating intelligence information?

Q. Will the personnel work in plainclothes or in uniform?

Q. Will the unit operate covertly, with undercover operations?

Q. Will the unit function as a line or support section?

Q. What will be the best hours of operation, and how many days a week should the unit be on the street?

Q. Where will the unit be assigned (Patrol, Detective, or Administrative)?

Q. Will the gang unit be on call 24 hours a day?

Q. Will the unit be attached to a Bias Crime Unit?

COOPERATION BETWEEN AGENCIES

Since gangs do not exist solely within city, county or state boundaries, and since gang clashes all too frequently involve more than one jurisdiction, it helps to know what gangs are active or reside in adjacent areas or jurisdictions. Even though the task is demanding, it is imperative for an officer to be informed as to which gangs are active in his or her own jurisdiction. It is more difficult to have other than a general knowledge of which gangs are active in neighboring jurisdictions. To keep informed it is necessary to maintain a good working relationship and have an effective information exchange arrangement with gang units of other law enforcement agencies or personnel who have been tracking gangs for two or more years. Each gang should be filed by name separately and alphabetically.

In jurisdictions with a large number of gangs, it may be useful to further subdivide them according to type; i.e., motorcycle, prison, car club, etc. Some agencies have developed a gang biography card to profile each gang. This is filed with the described gang and should include as much of the following information as possible.

1. The number of active and associate members.

2. The type of gang it is (street, motorcycle, etc).

3. The ethnic composition of the gang.

4. The gang's territory and boundaries.

5. The gang hangouts.

6. The type (s) of crime (s) the gang member (s) commit.

7. The gangs method of operation (M.O.).

8. The gang's choice of victims.

9. The members who fill leadership roles.

10. The members who are known to be violent.

11. The gang's weapon of choice

12. The rival gang (s).

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Last modified: 12/30/11