Describing the assumptions, issues, problems, and events that characterize, shape, and define the police response to gangs in America today, the primary focus of this book is on gang unit officers and the environment in which they work. The book is broadly focused on describing how gang units respond to community gang problems, and answers such questions as: Why do police agencies organize their responses to gangs in certain ways? Who are the people who elect to police gangs? What are their jobs really like? How do their responses to the gang problem compare with other policing strategies, such as community policing?
Author(s): Charles M. Katz, Vincent J. Webb
Series: Cambridge Studies in Criminology
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 320
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 11
1 Studying the Police Response to Gangs......Page 13
prior research examining the police response to gangs......Page 25
the present study......Page 30
Alternative Organizational Forms......Page 31
Gang Unit Officers......Page 32
Gang Unit Functions and Activities......Page 33
Compatibility of Gang Units with Community-Oriented Policing......Page 34
study setting......Page 35
Police Departments Studied......Page 38
Gang Units Studied......Page 40
Field Observations......Page 41
Interviews with Gang Unit Officers......Page 45
Document Reviews......Page 47
Interviews with Non–Gang Unit Personnel and Stakeholders......Page 48
Verification......Page 50
narrative......Page 51
3 Historical Analysis of Gangs and Gang Control......Page 54
inglewood, california......Page 55
Response to Gangs: Late 1960s Through 1980......Page 56
Response to Gangs: 1981 Through 1989......Page 58
Response to Gangs: Late 1980s Through 1999......Page 60
albuquerque, new mexico......Page 66
Response to Gangs: 1980 Through 1997......Page 67
Response to Gangs: 1998 Through 1999......Page 73
Response to Gangs: 1980 Through 1986......Page 76
Response to Gangs: 1987 Through 1990......Page 79
Response to Gangs: 1990 Through 1999......Page 84
phoenix, arizona......Page 87
Response to Gangs: 1970 Through 1983......Page 88
Response to Gangs: 1984 Through 1990......Page 90
Response to Gangs: 1990 Through 1999......Page 92
summary......Page 97
4 Scope and Nature of the Current Gang Problem......Page 103
inglewood......Page 104
Perceptions of the Gang Problem......Page 107
albuquerque......Page 110
Perceptions of the Gang Problem......Page 112
las vegas......Page 116
Perceptions of the Gang Problem......Page 120
Another lieutenant provided a similar explanation:......Page 123
phoenix......Page 125
Perceptions of the Gang Problem......Page 128
Another detective made a similar observation:......Page 131
summary......Page 133
5 Form, Function, and Management of the Police Gang Unit......Page 137
organization of gang control in police departments......Page 138
Intelligence......Page 143
Enforcement and Suppression......Page 147
Prevention and Education......Page 148
differentiating organizational configurations......Page 149
Written Policies and Procedures......Page 154
Documenting Gangs, Gang Members, and Gang Crime......Page 157
Formal Goals and Objectives......Page 161
Expected Outcomes......Page 164
Performance Measures......Page 165
Supervision of Gang Unit Personnel......Page 167
summary......Page 173
officer characteristics......Page 177
becoming a gang unit officer......Page 179
Inglewood......Page 183
Albuquerque......Page 184
Phoenix......Page 185
Training Quality......Page 186
gang unit officer status......Page 190
Stakeholder Perceptions of the Gang Unit......Page 195
Gang Unit Officer Perceptions of Their Role......Page 198
Internal Stakeholder Perceptions of the Role of Their Gang Unit......Page 202
External Stakeholder Perceptions of the Role of Their Gang Unit......Page 204
summary......Page 207
7 On the Job......Page 210
Enforcement......Page 212
Investigation......Page 215
Intelligence......Page 218
Education and Prevention......Page 237
Administrative, En Route, and Non-Police-Related Time......Page 238
Mobilization of Gang Unit Officers......Page 240
Individuals Contacted by Gang Unit Officers......Page 241
summary......Page 247
8 Policing Gangs in a Time of Community Policing......Page 253
the impact of community policing on the police response to gangs......Page 254
Problem Solving......Page 259
Community Partnerships......Page 262
impact of community policing on the gang problem......Page 273
summary......Page 276
9 Conclusion and Implications......Page 279
absence of direction, controls, and accountability......Page 281
information as the principal gang unit commodity......Page 285
strategic and structural decoupling of gang units......Page 287
gang units and community policing......Page 292
Geographic Focus......Page 293
Prevention......Page 294
Partnerships......Page 295
Formal Problem Solving......Page 296
Management Tactics......Page 297
final thoughts......Page 299
References......Page 303
Index......Page 315
