Gangs

Many forms of hate face American citizens in this day and age. Sexual preference, Race and religion seem to be on everyone's minds. Every time you turn on the news you read about somebody that was hurt or even worse killed because they had a different view of a subject. However one problem you don't hear too much about any more is gang violence.

Gangs have been around longer than anybody can remember. They did not always have to be violent. They could be considered as more of a way to be associated with others like you. Almost like a second family for some. This is partially the reason the violence started. If another gang would encroach on your turf or another member of your gang than something would have to be done. Then the other gang would have to retaliate for what you did to their member. And so a long chain of successive events would follow.

Gang activity and related violence is on the rise throughout the entire United States and is no longer just an issue for larger cities. In the last few years, gang activity and related violence have infiltrated suburban and rural areas, putting your community and youths at risk.

In order to address the rising gang problem in your community, I invite you to attend the 2007 National Summit on Gang Violence, May 16-18, in Arlington, VA. This summit will arm you with the tools to effectively bring together all of your community resources and implement a strategic anti-gang plan to intervene, prevent and suppress gang violence and activity in your community.

Evaluate the Role of Gang Activity in Your Community

Before creating a strategy to address gangs and gang activity, you must first determine the type and extent of gang activity in your community. With a solid understanding of the different types of gangs and their typical behaviors and characteristics, your agency can begin to combat the problem effectively. Hear from leading experts about

the latest trends in gang activity, problems your community may face when targeting gangs and at-risk youth, and viable solutions to keep your community free from gang activity.

Implement Successful Tactics for Collaborative Anti-Gang Initiatives

In order to remain proactive in your efforts to control gang activity in your jurisdiction, it is essential to involve a variety of stakeholders. Partnerships and coalitions can provide your organization with many benefits, including increased support, additional resources and funding and the ability to leverage existing relationships. Learn from

communities that have successfully forged partnerships to further anti-gang initiatives. This Summit will highlight the success stories of communities that have successfully forged partnerships, and will arm you with the tools to create and implement a community-wide collaborative program aimed at eliminating gangs.

Enhance Prevention Programs for At-Risk Youth

Communities must be proactive in their outreach to at-risk youth, the most susceptible targets for gang recruitment. By providing mentoring and safe alternatives to gang activity, at-risk youth are given the important opportunity to form lasting relationships outside of a gang. At the 2007 National Summit on Gang Violence, you will hear about ways your community can get involved in providing safe and productive alternatives to at-risk behavior.

About 30,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs with approximately 800,000 members operate in the U.S. today. Many are sophisticated and well organized; all use violence to control neighborhoods and boost their illegal money-making activities, which include drug trafficking, robbery, theft, fraud, extortion, prostitution rings, and gun trafficking. Here, you'll find more on the threats posed by gangs, on how you can help spot and prevent gang activity, and on how we're redoubling our efforts to disrupt and dismantle them through intelligence-driven investigations and new initiatives and partnerships.

Recent Stories Facts and Photos Other Resources

 New L.A. Gang Task Force

 Director on Gang Response

 MS-13 Up Close

 How We're Targeting MS-13

 Fighting Global Gangs

 Recent Statistics

 Violent Gang Task Forces

 Success Stories

 Gallery

 National Gang Threat Assessment

 Gang Toolkit for Parents, Educators, Police

 National Youth Gang

MS-13 National Gang Task Force

National Gang Intelligence Center

Based at FBI headquarters, the MS-13 National Gang Task Force combines the expertise, resources, and jurisdiction of federal agencies that investigate this violent international street gang. It focuses on maximizing the flow of information and intelligence, coordinating investigations, and helping state and local law enforcement improve operations and prosecutions targeting MS-13. The task force can be reached by calling (202) 324-5340.

To help curb the growth of gangs and related criminal activity, the FBI spearheaded the creation of the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) in 2005. A multi-agency effort, the NGIC integrates gang intelligence from across federal, state, and local law enforcement on the growth, migration, criminal activity, and association of gangs that pose a significant threat to the U.S. Its mission is to support law enforcement by sharing timely and accurate information and by providing strategic/tactical analysis of intelligence.

While preventing terrorist attacks remains the FBI's top priority, our resources dedicated to violent crime are focused on the most acute problems threatening our society and complex multi-jurisdictional investigations where we can offer special capabilities. Since 2001, the FBI has increased its focus on violent gangs.

Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative

 As of December 2006, the FBI operates more than 170 Safe Streets Task Forces (SSTFs) in 56 field offices.

 SSTFs are