NCJ Number
146778
Date Published
1993
Length
39 pages
Annotation
These two papers examine two aspects of gangs: (1) gang organization and migration from the Los Angeles area to sell drugs in other areas in California and the United States; and (2) law enforcement responses to gang migration.
Abstract
Interviews with California inmates during 1988 and 1989 revealed that outside factors such as law enforcement efforts and increased competition in drug selling, together with the internal dynamics of gangs, are prompting the move towards professionalism and entrepreneurial attitudes in gangs. Gang members travel to other areas mainly to receive higher prices than they can in Los Angeles. However, some gang members do little or no traveling, because they fear being imprisoned outside California. Interviews and participant observations of law enforcement personnel in Kansas City, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York revealed that police are increasingly viewing the drug problem as a social, economic, and educational issue, rather than primarily a law enforcement responsibility. A Gallup poll released in 1989 revealed that the public shares this view and recognizes the limits of law enforcement in addressing drug problems. Reference notes