Guide Note
Street gangs typically refer to organized crime units consisting of a group of people who share a common identity (most gangs have names, symbols or hand signs, and designated colors that distinguish their group). Street gangs often "control" certain areas of a city and take part in robberies, drug dealing, gun trafficking, and other crimes.1 Gang violence results from rival gangs warring with one another.
Fast Facts
- Male-oriented groups2
- Symbols include: Hand signs, graffiti, tattoos
- 30,000 gangs in the United States1
- Some gangs: Bloods, Crips, MS-13
- 2001: 100% of cities with populations over 250,000 had gang activity3
Netbangers
Some gangs are modernizing their operations via the Internet in a movement of what are being called "netbangers."4 The web allows gangs organized across multiple cities to operate as a more organized unit.
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