The purpose of this guide is to assist communities in designing a plan to implement the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model. The publication relies heavily on the research and experiences of a number of practitioners and professionals in the field of youth gangs.
The OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model was based on best practices to address gang-related violence and crime as implemented in a number of communities around the country. This publication outlines the five strategies of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model, planning for implementation, administrative structure for implementation, prevention, intervention and suppression, the intervention team, the team-based case management of gang-involved clients, the role of street outreach in the Comprehensive Gang Model, evaluation and sustainability and resources. The Model encompasses a multidisciplinary response to gangs on multiple levels—prevention, intervention, and suppression—and that has been shown to reduce serious gang-related crimes in affected communities. This manual is based on the best practices of almost 20 years of implementation experience with the Model in communities large and small.