Strategies for Alleviating the Gang Crime Problem

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Introduction

The definition of a gang crime by the law enforcement officials takes two dimensions but they employ one of the definitions in order to measure and tackle this problem in the society. The first definition considers gang-related all crimes committed by individuals who belong to a particular gang without regard to the circumstances surrounding such crimes or the nature of the offense. This therefore is a member-based definition of gang crime. Another but more restrictive definition is that a gang crime is committed if and when such occurs as part of the function of a gang or for the benefit of the gang and therefore is strictly gang-motivated. Based on the evidence that gang-motivated crimes constitute more than half of gang homicides for instance in South Central Los Angeles, the law enforcement officials have based most of their operations in addressing this problem on the motive-based definition of gang crime(justicepolicyorg, n.d).

Gang-motivated crimes are then classified under two groups. There are those crimes which are committed by small groups or individuals within the gang and these are called self-directed crimes. The other classification is the gang-directed crimes in which the gang leaders or the entire gang is involved in commissioning of crimes. There are different motives under which gang-related crimes are orchestrated by the perpetrators and this forms the basis for understanding these crimes. One of the motives is rooted on the expressive actions demonstrated by a group to depict its fearless nature and also to expose its pride by for instance avenging past sins done by a rival gang. Another motive is based on instrumental actions whose main objective is to ensure that the material requirements of...

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