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Articles•by Al Valdez•December 1, 1996

Conducting Effective Witness Interviews

The ultimate goal of a gang investiga­tion is to find the truth. What happened? Who did it? How? As law enforcement officers, how do we arrive at the truth? What is our part in the game plan? Here are some suggestions that may be useful for patrol personnel, detectives and fol­low-up investigators when dealing with witnesses and victims of gang crimes.

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Articles•by Laura E. Quarantiello•December 1, 1996

Gang Tracking: War on Gangs Goes Hi-Tech

Loco wears his scar almost like a first-place ribbon. The curved line of flesh that arcs around his left, eye like a backward "c" has been his badge of honor for years, the mark of a gangster who has made it, who is not afraid to put himself in harm's way for the glory of the hood or the repu­tation of his gang.

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Articles•by Al Valdez•November 1, 1996

Nations at War Within Windy City Limits

These Chicago-­based gangs follow strict dress codes and use body language as a nonverbal form of communication. A gang member can simply cross his arms to "announce" his gang affiliation.

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Articles•by Al Valdez•October 1, 1996

Skinhead Groups Gain Youhful Following

Skinhead membership has tradition­ally drawn from dysfunctional work­ing-class families, and it appears that many skinheads come from broken homes. Members can be as young as 13 and as old as 25. They typically pos­sess average intelligence, but are often poorly educated.

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Articles•by Al Valdez•August 1, 1996

Tracing the Roots of Black Gang Rivalry

The Crips and Bloods have now moved into their second generations, and traditions are being established within these gang families. The street gang lifestyle has become an accept­able way of living for some families.

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Articles•by Al Valdez•July 1, 1996

A New Gang Threat Rears its Ugly Head

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.

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Articles•by Al Valdez•June 1, 1996

Careful Planning is Key to a Sound Investigation

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?

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Articles•by Al Valdez•May 1, 1996

A Back-to-Basics Approach to Gang Investigators

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.

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Articles•by Al Valdez•April 1, 1996

Decoding the Secret Messages on the Wall

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.

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Articles•by Cecil Pearson•April 1, 1996

No Nonsense Negotiations

With improved communications systems, alarm systems and faster response times, first responders now have the advantage of arriving in the early stages — before things get out of control.

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