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Gang Analysis Survey

The 1996 National Law Enforcement Gang Analysis Survey: In Spring 1996 a strict random sample of 1,000 police chiefs were sent a mail questionnaire. Some N = 283 responded from 48 states. The research reported here estimates that the total gang population in the United States today is approximately 1.5 million, far above FBI and other federal research estimates of the scope and extent of the gang problem in America. The gang problem has expanded considerably since 1992 is another major finding of this research. Half of the police departments (58.8%) first recognized the gang problem hitting their cities in the time frame of 1992 to present. Computer technology for tracking gang members as well as gang training for police officers lags behind the rising gang problem. Frustrated, about a fourth of American cities have now passed local ordinances, and about half report gang dress code restrictions in their local public schools. Gang members account for an average of 10.6 of all crime and 18.5 percent of all juvenile crime in American cities today. Asked to give elected federal leaders a "report card" grade for combatting gangs since 1992, these local law enforcement officials gave a grade of D-minus regarding such crime fighting success regarding the American gang problem. A wide range of other gang problems, issues, and policies are discussed in the report.

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