Abstract
ABSTRACT The presence of gang members and their involvement in crime has been documented and debated by researchers and practitioners for years. In 1998, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported there were 28,700 gangs and 780,200 gang members in the United States (National Institute of Justice, 2000). These findings represent a 7% decrease in the number of gangs and an 8% decrease in the number of gang members since 1996. These decreases, however, are not recognized by society, as the presence of gangs is portrayed by the media with visual images and graphic descriptions of drug sales, turf wars, drive by shootings and drug-related murders. Most law enforcement agencies cite 1994 as the beginning of the gang problem (National Institute of Justice, 1997). Although the yearly reports vary regarding the number of gangs and gang members and their involvement in criminal activity, their presence and influence remains.
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