Criminal Activities of Gangs and Other Dangerous Groups

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Chapter 19

• Criminal Activities of Gangs and Other Dangerous
  Groups

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Gang

• A number of people associated in some way, an
  organized group of criminals, or a group of
  youths from the same neighborhood banded together
  for social reasons
• It has the main characteristics of leadership and
  organization for the purpose of committing
  illegal acts or crimes, either as individuals or
  as a group

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Street Gang

• A group of individuals who form an allegiance,
  have a name and recognizable symbols, claim a
  geographic territory and engage in continuous
  unlawful or criminal activity

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Reasons For The Increase In Gang-related Problems

• Drugs
• Immigration
• Migration
• Female-headed households
• Media

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Why People Join Gangs

• Structure
• Organized, disciplined, leadership
• Nurturing
• Provide care, understanding
• Sense of belonging
• Mentoring, love
• Economic security
• Money
• Excitement

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Types of Gangs

• Hedonistic/social gangs
• Drug use good times
• Party gangs (party crews)
• Who can throw the biggest party with drugs
  booze
• Predatory gangs
• Robberies muggings
• Abuse addictive drugs
• Sell drugs/not organized

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Types of Gangs cont.

• Scavenger gangs
• Prey on the weak
• Low achievers
• Territorial gangs
• Conflict with other gangs over turf
• Organized/corporate gangs
• All type crime, strict discipline, promotion
  based on merit

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Types of Gangs cont.

• Drug gangs
• Small, cohesive, leadership
• Cultural gangs
• Neighborhood centered
• Instrumental gangs
• Criminal activity, drugs
• Outlaw motorcycle gangs
• Hells Angels, Banditos, Outlaws, Pagans

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Characteristic Groups of Youth Gangs
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Anatomy Of A Gang Member

• Male (92)
• Minority (40 Hispanic, 34 Black, 6 Asian)
• 18 years or older (60)
• Unemployed or work part-time
• Active at night
• Academically weak

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Differences Between Street Gangs and Drug Gangs
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Criteria For Defining Gangs
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Identifying Gang Members

• Names
• Moniker nickname
• Symbols
• Clothing (colors)
• Tattoos
• Communication styles
• Graffiti
• Signs

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Investigating Gangs

• Establish personal contacts with the gangs in the
  community
• Become familiar with their size
• Know the names of as many members as possible
• Be able to identify the symbols, graffiti, and
  colors the gang uses

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Bias/Hate Crime

• A criminal act committed because of someones
  actual or perceived membership in a particular
  group
• Motivated by hatred against a specific group of
  people
• Two general categories of hate
• Rational Unjust acts
• Irrational Based on religion, race, sexual
  orientation, or ethnicity

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Motivations

• Race (53.8)
• Religion (18.3)
• Sexual orientation (16.1)
• Ethnic or national origin (11.3)
• Disability (.5) and Multiple (.5)

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Victims of Hate Crime

• African Americans
• Arabs
• Asians
• Gay males/lesbians
• Jews
• Latinos
• Native Americans
• White women in interracial relationships

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Identifying Neo Nazi Groups

• Shaven heads
• Wear dark leather jackets or greenish flight
  jackets, blue or black jeans or camouflage army
  fatigues, and black military boots

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Identifying Neo Nazi Groups cont.

• Clothing often displays American flags, German
  crosses and swastikas, or expressions such as
  White Power, Skins Rule, KKK, or WAR
• Covered with tattoos of skulls, swastikas, or
  words such as Skinhead and SWP

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Response to Hate Crimes

• Respond promptly
• Attempt to reduce the victims fear
• Determine the exact type of prejudice involved
• Words/language used
• Perpetrators actions, symbols, dress and colors

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Indicators That a Hate Crime Could Have Been
Committed

• Perception of the victim and witnesses
• Perpetrators comments
• Any difference between the perpetrator and the
  victim
• Similar incidents in same neighborhood
• Whether the victim was engaged in activities
  promoting his group
• Whether the incident coincided with a holiday or
  date of particular significance
• Involvement of organized hate groups/members
• Absence of any other motive

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Ritualistic Crime

• An unlawful act committed with or during a
  ceremony
• A cult (New Religious Movement) is a system of
  religious beliefs and rituals. It is a system of
  religion whose characteristics are not drawn from
  existing religious traditions within a society

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Religious Cults

• Peoples Temple 1970s
• Rev. Jim Jones caused over 900 deaths in Guyana,
  SA
• Hare Krishna movement
• Origin in India in 1954
• Branch Davidians 1993
• Rev. David Koresh
• Heavens Gate 2005
• Mass suicide

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Cult Terminology

• Antichrist-Son of Satan
• Beelzebub-Demon under Satan
• Coven-Group of witches or Satanists
• Hand of Glory-Left hand of dead person
• Incantation-Verbal spell

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Cult Terminology cont.

• Magick-Supernatural change in environment
• Occult-Secret knowledge of supernatural powers
• Ritual-Prescribed religious/mystical ceremony
• Sabbat-Gathering of witches

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Thats All Folks