The Role of Law Enforcement in Curbing Gang Violence

Background: Most research shows that the public believes that law enforcements major goal in many urban and suburban areas is to prevent gang activity. Gang activity is certainly not a new phenomenon, but has been part of human history since Ancient Times (Rome, Greece, the Middle Ages, etc.). In most countries, gang violence patterns the sociological development of society and the evolution of criminal activity - as criminal activity becomes more sophisticated, so do gang activities. While most sociological theories tie gang behavior to youth violence, one can trace a number of changes in gang violence to the way organized crime has evolved in the United States (Franzese, et al., 2006). At the beginning of the 20th century, for instance, gangs were often based around ethnic boundaries and confined within ethnic neighborhoods. These early gangs tended to focus on non-violent or human weakness crime (e.g. prostitution, gambling, nontaxable cigarettes and alcohol). Once gambling becaus e legal in Nevada, much of the organized crime dealing with gambling moved to Las Vegas, while still retaining some ties to the major metropolitan areas. As tastes changed, so did the criminological focus of gangs; from liquor to drugs, from drugs to social and political control back focusing on ethnic boundaries (e.g. Asian, Latino, etc.) (Jackson and McBridge, 2000). Overview of the Research The research conducted was done between 1990 and 1993 focusing on gang behavior. The researchersShow MoreRelatedThe Prevalence Of The Problem Of Drug Smuggling1637 Words   |  7 Pages Drug smuggling is considered as one of the illegal trades responsible for creating diverse negative impacts on the society as well as the global community, hence, the concerted efforts placed by many governments targeting at curbing it. This essay aims at analyzing the prevalence of the problem of drug smuggling in various countries and to point out potential reason that escalate the menace despite existence of efforts targeted at preventing it. Furthermore, the paper targets at offering reasonsRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Essay1646 Words   |  7 Pagespeople demand lowering the age of criminal responsibility and draconian penalties (Jenson Howard, 1998; Melton, Petrila, Poythress, Slobogin, 2007). These individuals react to this obvious social crisis with an attempt to f ight the phenomenon with curbing the symptoms but without considering the causes which are created socially. When trying to combat this phenomenon, one has to be aware of the social contexts of juvenile delinquency. Of course, the postulate of personal responsibility has to beRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?2533 Words   |  11 Pageshave been used for many years for their social, aesthetic, and medicinal effects. International laws and treaties have forbidden farming, possession, and selling of marijuana. This makes lawbreakers out of more than the 125 million people marijuana consumers and those who supply them. The trade makes illicit markets totalling to billions of dollars per year, some of the illegal activity results in violence and corruption by public officials. Millions of marijuana users are arrested annually for possessionRead MoreEssay about Gang Injunctions10585 Words   |  43 PagesEffectiveness and Constitutionality of Gang Injunctions Ryan Jacobsen* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 GENERAL STANDARD FOR ISSUING AN INJUNCTION .................................... 3 WHAT IS A CIVIL GANG INJUNCTION? ............................................................... 4 HISTORY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF GANG INJUNCTIONS ..................Read MoreDrugs in Society Study Guide Essay4299 Words   |  18 Pagesthan men FALSE Hispanics are more likely than whites and blacks to have ever used drugs FALSE Children who smoke marijuana are 85 percent more likely to use cocaine than peers who have never tried marijuana TRUE OPPORTUNITY THEORY: Street gangs train youths for adult criminality Anomie: the goal of success becomes more important than the means CULTURAL TRANSMISSION: crime occurs in decaying transitional areas Victimless crimes: because people choose the activity, no crime has been committedRead MoreGang Violence in Society Essay2400 Words   |  10 PagesShould Be Done About Gang Violence In Society? Many people in our society do not think that anything bad will ever happen to them. These people always hear about the issues and problems that are in the world today, but never think they will take place close to home. Gang violence is a major problem in our society today that takes place in many different areas of the world. If nothing is done soon, gang violence could take place in our neighborhoods. Gang violence is a big problem in ourRead MoreCauses Of Juvenile Delinquency. Authors John Hagan And1601 Words   |  7 Pagesindividuals who experience stress or stress has reached a tipping point that leads them to commit the crime. The impulse to do so is defense mechanism for the person to cope with the stressful situation. One of the key principles of this theory is the role that emotions play that generates the motivation to the crime. Strain theory has been cited to people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better, or a student assaulting a classmate to end the bullying/harassment they have caused. BreshaRead MoreCompare and contrast two main sociological theories of crime and deviance.1636 Words   |  7 Pagestheir enforcement? , and Interactionist: How did this person become processed (labeled) as a deviant? Sociology asserts that deviance is problematic, yet essential and intrinsic to any conception of Social Order. It is problematic because it disrupts but is essential because it defines the confines of our shared reality. According to sociologist , William Graham Sumner, deviance is a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways, mores, or codified law (1906)Read MoreDomestic Violence in India: Causes, Consequences and Remedies5741 Words   |  23 PagesDomestic Violence in India: Causes, Consequences and Remedies Introduction â€Å"Bride tortured to death for dowry†, â€Å"School going kid succumbs to his injuries after beaten by father†, â€Å"A seventy year old man killed over property dispute†, â€Å"Harassment of men in Chandigarh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  All these and what not, turn to any newspaper at random and you would find the reports of such kind of violence all over the country. These are all what we come to know through different forms of media. There are more such casesRead MoreTorture and Custodial Violence in Prisons12554 Words   |  51 PagesCustodial Violence in Prisons â€Å" Submitted By- Yashwardhan Pratap Singh 1st year, B.A.LLB Course, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana. Report on - The Custodial Violence and Torture In Prisons: Can it be justified even if done for a greater good? Where to draw the line between the autonomy of the police and the rights of the prisoners ? Basic Structure – * Human Rights- Importance, protection, NHRC’s role, International law,State, District