Street Gangs

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Street Gangs

• Elliot Faust
• Joe Sykes

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What is a Gang

• By Definition A gang is a loosely organized
  group of individuals who collaborate together for
  social reasons.
• Gangs today in most cases collaborate together
  for anti-social reasons such as drug trafficking,
  violence over territory, etc.

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Why do Gangs Exist?

• There is no simple answer explaining why gangs
  exist.
• One popular theory established by Abraham
  Maslow can be applied to take a deeper look into
  why gangs may exist.

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is often applied to
  why gangs exist today.
• Typically people trying to satisfy needs at level
  two and above join gangs.

• Level I Physiological
• Level II Security
• Level III Social
• Level IV Self Esteem
• Level V Self Actualization

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Explaining the Needs

• Level II Security
• Level III Social
• Level IV Self Esteem
• Level V Self Actualization

• Level II Individuals seek to secure survival
  and also look for a a family unit.
• Level III Individuals look to satisfy the need
  for social relationships.
• Level IV Individuals begin to flex muscle and
  power. Desires recognition of skills and
  talents.
• Level V Members strive for superiority in all
  aspects of gang life. Violence, drug selling.

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Other Factors

• Lack of responsibility
• Socio-economic circumstances
• Parental guidance or lack thereof
• Racism
• Ego fulfillment
• Educational deficiencies

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Who joins gangs?

• The most common age for youth to join a gang is
  between the age of 12 and 24.
• The average age of gang members is 17-18
• Gang members usually join at a young age and grow
  up in the gang. Thus creating a family like
  atmosphere.

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Structure of the Gang

• Gangs most of the time are not formally ranked
  (president, vice president etc.) and do not have
  a solid infrastructure.
• Leadership also is not usually placed on one
  person, it shifts between people who have unique
  leadership abilities needed by the gang at a
  particular time.

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Structure

• Leaders Determine at what level of criminal
  activity the gang will function.
• Hardcore Seasoned gang members. Socially and
  culturally immersed in gang life.
• Associates Personally commit to the gang and
  strive for higher levels of recognition within
  the gang.
• Cliques Small groups of people within the gang
  who are close. Gangs within the gang.
• Wanna-bes Individuals who are not actually gang
  members but looking acceptance.

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Loyalty

• Loyalty to the gang is number one priority to
  members. Most will even risk prison time and
  death for the gang.
• Members are also very loyal to each other.
  Informing or ratting on each other disgraces
  themselves and their family.

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Types of Gangs

• Gangs are very fluid and are constantly changing
  from day to day. It is very hard to get even an
  estimate on the number of gangs in existence in
  America.
• Most gangs align with the four major gangs
• Bloods
• Crips
• Folk Nation
• People Nation

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Bloods

• The United Blood Nation formed in 1993 to combat
  the rise of the Crips.
• The Bloods are known to be very violent thus are
  of great concern to Law Enforcement.
• Identification
• Red Colors Bandanas or rags
• They refer themselves to Dawgs

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Bloods Graffiti
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Bloods Signs

• Variations of blood hand signs

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Crips

• The Crips are a very violent black gang that
  originated in LA in the 1960s.
• 65 -75 of membership is above age of 18
• They Identify with the color blue
• They refer to each other as Cuzz

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Crips Graffiti
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Crips Signs
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The People Nation

• The People Nation is a large gang that is made up
  of smaller gangs called sets.
• Some sets in the People Nation include

Colors Black and Gold or Black and Yellow
Enemies General people who align with the Folk
Nation are considered Enemies
Signs Members use left identifiers including
left hand signals, rolled up left pant leg,
hats cocked to the left, etc.
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People Nation Graffiti
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People Nation Signs

• Because the People Nation is a conglomeration of
  many other gangs there is no universal sign.

Latin Kings
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The Folk Nation

• The Folk Nation is another gang with many sub-set
  gangs.
• Some of the Major sets in the Folk Nation
  include

The Folk Nation is a gang of right identifiers.
People in the Folk Nation orient their articles
of clothing such as caps, bandanas, belt buckles,
etc to the right. It is also common to see
members roll their right sleeve or pant leg up.
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Folk Nation Graffiti
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BGD

• 2 7 4
• - Alphabetical correlation to BGD (Black
  Gangster Disciple)
• 12 12 12
• Alphabetical correlation to LLL
• Which stands for Live, Life, Loyalty

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Folk Nation Signs
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Gang Task Force

• The National Major Gang Task Force was created in
  1993 to work with Law Enforcement, Correctional
  Agencies, Military, Educators, and Juvenile
  Justice Agencies to combat Gang related problems.
• The Minnesota Gang Strike Force was created in
  1997 in response to criminal gang activity in the
  state.
• The Minnesota Gang Strike Force has opened five
  offices in the state with about sixty officers
  assigned to investigate criminal gang activity.
• The Minnesota Gang Strike Force is headed by Ron
  Ryan, who is also a St. Paul Police Commander.

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Most active gangs in Minneapolis

• Gangster Disciples
• Vice Lords
• Shotgun Crips
• Family Mob

• Rollin 30s Bloods
• Vatos Locos
• Sureno 13
• LA 213 18s

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