There is no easy fix for the problems gangs pose on our society. Gangs most likely started long ago when men grouped together to hunt and gather their food. The forming of a hunting party is an example of combined efforts of men to bring meat to their tables. But setting aside the social tasks which gangs contributed in the past, during our current era whenever many gangs congregate it is for the purpose of enacting civil disorder. Today's gangs disrupt our way of life. They compel our society to extraordinary measures to maintain justice, they cause taxation upon citizens to compensate for the extra services rendered as a result of gangs' tyranny, and they mount unexpected governmental and business costs to restore for damages inflicted upon people and properties by the anti-social antics by many of these gangs. So the question remains an issue, what can be done?
Unless a community can dismantle a gang during its early rise, gangs will have to be subdued by an assault by several entities attacking the very foundation of the gangs, i.e. their hierarchies. The social entities which must be involved and coordinate their work together are:
- Community
- Law Enforcement
- Justice System
- Social Support
- Political Support
- Economic Support
- Community
A community is made up of families, friends, neighbors, churches, and businesses which typically live within a geographical region, a neighborhood. When a gang begins to form, most gangs could be dissolved if the community from which they belonged quickly noticed their formation and intervened. Regrettably many parents do not have time to instruct and manage their kids, neither can many of make themselves available to meet and associate with neighbors next door, and allocate time to participate in community activities with businesses or churches. Yet it is during the early stages of most gangs' developments, if citizens from the communities from which gangs form were active in busting up gangs before they can become fully organized, many gangs would not persist very long.
Many gangs have started because their neighborhoods ignored them. The members of these gangs showed discontent with the neighborhoods and their inability for protection of their needs. The community allowed them to build their gang; they turned their backs to them. Though most gang members are youth, they are people too; with feelings, concerns, issues, and most importantly fears. As the growth of fear and anger perpetuate in the minds of many of these youth, their emotions drive them to form bonds with others who offer some type of security their neighborhood does not provide. If the community could dispel the fears and concerns of potential future gang members, there would be no need for the gang.
If it is too late and a gang has already marked its territory on a community, then the community will still bear a portion of the burden to bust it up.
Law Enforcement
The Police and / or Sheriff's Department are valuable resources to combat gangs if they have become uncontrollable. Yet, most law enforcement agencies, especially in urban communities do not have enough officers to maintain a constant patrol on the whereabouts of gang members and their activities, so law enforcement are limited. Their ability to succeed greatly depends on cooperation from citizens from the communities in which gangs set as their domains.
Justice System
No matter how effective a law enforcement department may be in apprehending, containing, and arresting gang members for committing crimes, their accomplishments will be at no avail if courts do not prosecute them and the penal system do not rehabilitate them.
Social Support
Gang members often perpetuate their violence as a direct reaction to violence which was executed upon them, a relative, or a friend. Many of these acts could be avoided if violence counselors could be dispatched to console these gang members before they reacted violently by seeking revenge. Furthermore, many of these gang members live in broken and dysfunctional families. If counselors could consult with these kids' families, much of the discontent about respect for life and property could be avoided. But our social services resources are limited and not directed to undergo such a practice.
Political Support
Simply said if the government whether local, state, and especially federal, would expend the time and resources to quell gang growth, these would be at a minimum. But they do not. Stopping gangs is not a priority on their agendas. As horribly considered, it is only when someone's death becomes so sensationalized that there is an outcry from most citizens that the government will react, and sadly when they do most of their efforts are superficial. If the government were compelled by its people to do something about gangs then something could be done. But how do we convince a bureaucracy subverted by special interests, controlling gangs is in our best interest. Will the government's only solution be to call out the national guards whenever gangs become uncontrollable?
