THE IMPACTS OF GANGS ON OUR COMMUNITY

GRAFFITTI AND TAGGINGS

Graffiti is the act of vandalizing a property to usually to mark a gang's territory.

(source: Board of Public Works http://bpw.lacity.org/OCB/gr.html)

Violence

(Source:LAPD End of the Year Crime Shots 2011)

LAPD reports a steady drop in violent crimes over the years.

The drop in violent crimes is probably best explained by the decreasing number of gang members each year.

(source: Los Angeles Police Department)

Drugs

Gang Involvement in Drug Distribution

(Source:National Drug Intelligence Center 2009)

Many gangs use drugs to fund for their activities. Most of the time the money they make is used to buy guns so that they can defend their territory.

The map indicates how many gangs members are involved in drug dealing. Los Angeles, Oakland,and New England are the most dense of all the areas.

Gun Possession

“A study of persons arrested for

a wide range of crimes showed that a higher percentage of arrestees than regular citizens own firearms. Arrestees are also more likely to be injured or killed by gun violence. Within a community, this amounts to an identifiable group of "career" offenders. ” - National Institute of Justice

Extortion, Money Laundering, and Racketeering

(Source: Bureau Of Prisons)

Often times selling drugs is too difficult with police officers cracking down on them. Extortion, the process of threatening people for their safety in exchange for money is common among gangs with large territories. This way they can make extra money without working too much.

5.5% of the Prison population are extortioners.

Ways to Prevent Kids from Joining Gangs

#1

Listen and Talk to your child

#2

Set an example to lead to succss

#3

Encourage them to participate in Extracurriculars

#4

Support them