The Gang Problem in New Jersey

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The Gang Problem in New Jersey

• Katherine Hempstead, Director
• Office of Injury Surveillance and Prevention
• Center for Health Statistics
• August 5, 2007

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Overview

• Increase in certain kinds of homicide
• An approach to measuring impact of gangs
• Implications for policy responses

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Age distribution of homicide victims 2005
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Race and ethnicity of 2005 homicide victims
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Not all kinds of homicide increasing

• Especially
• Firearms (240 in 2004, 278 in 2005)
• Young male victim
• Occurs in public place
• Associated with rise in gang activity

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How do we measure impact of gang activity on
violence?

• Definition of a gang
• Gang membership
• Gang-related-ness of violent crime
• Need a more useful way to categorize
• Categorize type of incident

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New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System

• Surveillance project designed to provide detailed
  information on homicides and suicides
• Combines information from multiple sources
• Used to assist in violence prevention efforts
• In New Jersey, used to help measure gang homicide

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Characteristics of homicides associated with gang
activity

• Firearm used
• Attack occurs in public place
• Young male victim
• Sometimes multiple victims and/or suspects
• No other known cause

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A broader definition of gang-related

• NVDRS facilitates custom categorization
• Gang definition based on multiple circumstances
• Includes about half of homicides 2003-2005

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About 50 of homicides in 2003-2005 fit this
definition
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Gang homicides in major cities, 2005
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Approaches to prevention

• Primary-general population
• Secondary-high risk groups
• Tertiary-those with condition

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Tendency to focus on youth

• But in 2005, 6 of cleared homicides in NJ were
  juvenile offenders
• Males age 25-29 years is most frequent offender
  and victim group
• Not exclusively a youth problem

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Implication for policy response

• Cant target all efforts at youth
• Prevention/public safety trade-off
• Enforcement, parole, re-entry.
• Reduce use of guns

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Reducing gun violence

• Limiting purchases
• Reducing trafficking
• Reducing stock
• Penalizing carrying

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New Jerseys Response

• Operation Ceasefire in twelve cities
• New crime plan
• Legislative possibilities

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Conclusion Reducing gang violence

• Problem is not limited to youth
• Violence emerges from complex factors
• Primary prevention must be coupled with other
  types
• Reducing use of guns