The History of Gang Control
Criminal gangs have been in existence since the mid-19th century in the United States' largest urban areas. But not until Prohibition spawned bootlegging did law enforcement react to stem criminal enterprises. Efforts to control gang activity began with the FBI, followed by local law enforcement agencies. Legislative and law enforcement debates continue today as to whether preventative programs or tough sentencing laws curb gang crime.
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Early Measures
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Early gang enforcement up until World War I was virtually non-existent and police departments did little coordination between agencies or devoted few resources to curtail organized crime.
The FBI
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The FBI focused only on non-organized crime activity until Prohibition helped spur criminal groups to control the alcohol, gambling and prostitution trades.
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Trial and Error
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Gang activity soared among Latino communities in the 1950s and African-American neighborhoods in the 1960s, forcing urban police departments to respond with tough, but unsuccessful tactics.
RICO
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The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, was enacted in 1970 to prosecute the Mafia as an organized criminal enterprise, but was soon applied to street gangs like the Florida branch of the Latin Kings.
Failures
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The Los Angeles Police Department's Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums unit, or Crash, was formed in the early 1970s to take a tough, hard line approach to gang activity, but failed and was disbanded following numerous brutality complaints.
Today
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An estimated 45 percent of American cities reported gang activity but only 15 police department have specialized gang units with only a few large departments investing significant financial resources in those units.
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Resources
- Photo Credit City of Monrovia, City of Los Angeles, City of Las Vegas, City of Memphis
