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Identifying Gangs and Gang Members

Where do we find gangs??

Odds are that you have street gangs in your community, your schools, and your work place.   Your jails and prisons almost certainly have prison gangs.  And perhaps, you have gang members living in your own home and you do not recognize the problem.  Gangs are no longer confined to the large urban communities. Gangs are now found in many of the smallest of towns across America and are no longer just low income, poorly educated, drop-outs from society. Gang members are now found to be a mixture of ALL races, cultures and ethnicities. No longer do the members come from a one parent family who is never available to show love and guidance to the child. Our youth of today are sometimes joining gangs even though they live with both parents who are in the middle income or even the upper income segments of society.

Too often the phrase, We don't have gangs in our community is uttered by the city fathers, the police, the chamber of commerce or the tourist bureau. This is often followed by, "All we have are a bunch of wannabes."  The inference here is that since the gangs in the community didn't originate in Los Angeles or Chicago, they aren't real gangs. Nothing could be further from the truth. If a group of youths in your community have banned together and call themselves by a particular name; if they use signs, symbols and or colors; and if they are committing crimes; they are a gang regardless of what members of the community say.

It is easy to understand why any community, large or small, might deny the existence of gangs within the community - no community wants the stigma of having gangs.  However, by denying the existence of gang activity, the community is doing the gangs a favor - they are allowing the gangs to develop, grow stronger in numbers and develop a power base.  As a result of this power base, gangs are sure to develop alliances and rivalries with other gangs gangs in the community

It is also easy to understand how parents fail to recognize the gang identifiers, such as graffiti, signs and symbols, tattoos, or particular styles of clothing, worn or used by their son or daughter. How does this happen?  They simply do not take the time to be aware.

Gangs Have Gone Global

As previously stated, gangs are not confined to any particular area of the United States nor are they confined to the United States.  Although their numbers are smaller, gangs are now known to exist in several European countries, the United Kingdom, Africa and even down under - Australia.  These gangs present the same problems to their respective communities and law enforcement agencies as those in the United States.

Our Goal

Since 1999, the goal of Gangs OR Us has been to provide law enforcement and corrections personnel, parents, teachers, and concerned citizens, the assistance and knowledge necessary to determine if street or prison gangs are in your community or your state's prison and jail facilities.  Most importantly, this web site and our other web sites, Teachers Against Gangs and Students Against Gangs will assist those who lack the awareness to recognize the fact that a son or daughter, who may also be a student is practicing the gang culture in the home or school.

Featured Videos

In recent weeks, two young male students have been the victims of gang violence in their home cities of Chicago and Baltimore.  Neither youth was connected to gangs in any way. 

How long are we going to allow these senseless murders to continue?  It is time to take back our communities.

The following video is about an honor student who was murdered by gang members as he was on the way home. 

 THE VIDEO IS VERY VIOLENT

The following video is about a Maryland youth who was beaten to death by a gang - He and the young Chicago honor student who was recently beaten to death are just two of the recent horror stories about victims in the United States.

This video will break your heart. Hopefully this video will serve as a warning and a lesson to all.

Tippecanoe County, Indiana Project Safe Neighborhoods

What a community can do!!!

Acknowledge The Existence of Gangs In Your Community

Gangs OR Us Has A New Sponsor

World of Globes