Articles - Gangs

The Southeast Asian street gang is a fairly new threat on the gang battlefield. Their presence was first noted by law enforcement officials in Southern California in the late 1970s.

Getting the case to court and obtaining a favorable decision by the bench or jury is always the goal in a gang investigation. And one of the greatest assets to any case is, of course, the witnesses. How do you solicit cooperation and a commitment to testify in court from these unique wit­nesses?

You get dispatched to a possible gang shooting. When you arrive, the scene looks like it came straight out of' the movies. Family members are present and are hysterical. Several gang members are just milling around, and a lifeless body is on the sidewalk.

Obviously, not all graffiti is gang graf­fiti. But once you are able to decipher their source and secret mes­sages, graffiti becomes a useful source of information.

Photos, jewelry, hairstyles and body piercing are among the obvious physical traits investigators look for when profil­ing gangs. But understanding how the members think, act and feel also can help police develop a rapport with members, and in turn, help expedite gang-related investigations.

When citizens hear the word "gang," they usually conjure up stereotypical images of Hispanic, Asian, black or white thugs roaming inner-city streets. But most cops working the gang detail understand that looks can be deceiving.

The 17 states with favorable right-to­-Carry gun laws had a 20.7 percent total lower violent crime rate than the other states. A new group has been formed to address the needs of police super­visors, from the rank of sergeant through chief. Police officers north of the border have their hands full as the Hells Angels of Quebec engage in a bloody year-long struggle.