Abstract
Street gangs remain a significant issue for the American criminal justice system. Historically, gangs have formed in a neighborhood setting and have committed crimes in malls, parks, and city streets. They were not known to conduct business outside of the neighborhood. Yet, keeping such a perspective when tackling gang activity in the contemporary setting is quite constrained. With their involvement in organized crime and the selling of drugs, gangs’ nature, breadth, and methods of operation have changed over time. Thus, it is important for law enforcement to adopt a different perspective on street gangs to develop more efficient methods of combating crime.
Street Gangs
Introduction
In the United States, street gangs are a well-known issue that significantly impacts crime. The case’s nature, extent, and impact have drawn more attention to gain a better understanding and develop solutions. The perception of street gangs as isolated, localized groups that pose little harm to anyone beyond their area of control restricts the efforts made by law enforcement to combat this crime. Furthermore, assuming that you understand their areas of influence and their propensity for criminal activity is limiting. It would be simple if it were so easy to stop the gangs.
Because this traditional understanding has allowed street gangs to persist and continue to create havoc in the nation, the most comprehensive view of street gangs should be beyond the street rhetoric. According to several studies, there is a closer relationship between street gangs and organized crime. Therefore their influence is higher than previously thought (Abadinsky, 2017). Despite being local organizations, they exert power beyond their immediate surroundings, particularly when collaborating with the main organized crime organizations.