Gang Violence Challenges Essay

Gang Violence Challenges
It can be difficult enough for law enforcement to combat gangs at the local level. There is a code of silence that these groups adopt, and by refusing to talk to police, it can be tough to pinpoint problem areas and do what is needed to combat the problem. Street gangs essentially view themselves as a family and work to protect each other against law enforcement. At the national level, those bonds become far more pronounced, and there are additional challenges that come with them
Law enforcement considers national gangs to be among the most problematic to deal with. Groups like the Bloods, Crips, and MS-13 have a tendency to resort to violence to resolve their issues and turf wars and, unfortunately, innocent people

often become casualties of that war. Additionally, national gangs make up the overwhelming majority of gang members in the US – about 88% (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2013). This enables them to participate in national-level and even international criminal activities such as the drug trade, human trafficking, gambling, racketeering, and gun smuggling, among others. They continue to expand across multiple jurisdictions with little resistance from other gangs, and they utilize aggressive recruiting efforts. The mere fact that they do not stay confined to one locale can make it hard for police to enact the law against them, especially when there is palpable friction between various national and international organizations.
Social disorganization theory believes that neighborhood characteristics are directly linked to crime rates.

Its main argument is that a person turns to criminal activity based on circumstance and that they are not “born evil,” and free will is minimal. Similarly, strain theory believes that criminal behavior stems from the pressure placed on individuals by society. The person’s culture may require that they achieve academic or personal success, regardless of their lack of means – and those who fail feel the need to commit crimes in order to achieve that success. Both of these theories could serve as an explanation to why juveniles join gangs, whether they are local or national

group.
Children who grow up in poverty may feel that they cannot succeed no matter how hard they work, especially if they are told so by the people who are supposed to be supportive of their efforts (family, friends, teachers, counselors, etc.).

Perhaps the pressure from society to succeed is too great for them to carry, and they want to take the “easy” route by turning to criminal activity. Juveniles especially will not be able to fully comprehend the consequences of joining a gang, as they have not had the life experience to know better and they are at an age where they seek acceptance by their peers. Gangs are frequently an appealing alternative, particularly when there is a strong culture of family and protection among

members.

DNA Exoneration
DNA evidence is a common way that law enforcement officials prove or disprove innocence or guilt. Thanks to advances in this technology in recent years, police are often re-examining cold cases and finding the offender by linking their DNA to the crime. It is also becoming a common method of exoneration for those individuals who have been wrongfully convicted, some of whom have spent decades in jail for a crime they did not commit. People outside the criminal justice system are becoming increasingly aware of the power DNA evidence holds to free the wrongfully imprisoned, and many have taken steps to free the innocents.
One project has proven especially effective in these endeavors. Founded in 1992 in New York City, the Innocence Project is a national public policy organization that focuses on exonerating people who have been handed wrongful convictions with the help of DNA technology. They also aim to reform the criminal justice system to prevent further occurrences, and they have a support program for those who have been freed to help them put their lives back together after their release. To date, they’ve helped achieve release for 178 of the 342 people exonerated by DNA evidence. More than two-thirds of these people were racial minorities, and twenty of those individuals were on death row (DNA exonerations, 2016). he true offender was able to be identified in 147 cases.

Wrongful Convictions
Unfortunately, there are many common factors that lead to wrongful convictions. Rarely is it ever one factor, but rather a combination of them. Of the 86 death row exonerations examined in a 2001 investigation (Causes of wrongful convictions, 2016):
• More than half (45) involved eyewitness error from faulty memory or confusion
• 10 cases saw a false statement given by a prison snitch
• Government misconduct by both the courts and the police played a role in 17 cases
• 8 cases hinged on false confessions as a result of mental illness and even police torture
• Junk science from unqualified “experts” and mishandled evidence were found in 9 cases
• 29 cases involved various other factors such as questionable or circumstantial evidence, hearsay, etc.

Homeland Security Enforcement Post-9/11
The events of September 11, 2001, saw a change in numerous law enforcement policies at the local, national, and even international levels. Immigration essentially became focused more on homeland security. Policies dealing with student and business visas – the type used by the 9/11 terrorists – were tightened up. Additional restrictions were put in place for illegal immigrants. Enforcement and prevention became the main priorities in the interest of keeping the country secure and safe from similar attacks.
Some communities are not apposed to large-scale immigration and see it as a way of offering people from other countries the chance to share in the “American Dream.” However, there is still a large portion, perhaps even a majority of Americans who oppose the idea. Like anyone else, Americans feel more comfortable with what is familiar rather than going through change. It is also possible that there is a fear (i.e. islamophobia) of those from other countries due to the emotional impact of 9/11.
This view plays a large role in how legislators lean whenever immigration issues are brought to the table. Probably the most easily identified current example is Donald Trump. During his campaign, he has thrown around plenty of rhetoric about “building a wall” to stop illegal immigration. He has also spoken about crime rates surging due to the influx of illegal immigrants and how he plans to crack down on what he has called a dysfunctional system. Likewise, other politicians and lawmakers have begun to take steps to tighten immigration laws. However, aside from stricter enforcement, it does not seem much has actually been done that has actually improved the situation thus far.