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:

1. Community
2. Law Enforcement
3. Justice System
4. Social Support
5. Political Support
6. Economic Support
7. 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?

Economic Support

Many future and present gang members are in gangs simply because they have nothing better to do. Few recreational facilities and activities are allocated by government for youth in impoverished areas, thus many of them have no outlet to keep themselves busy other than creating a disturbance in their neighborhoods. The lack of availability to job training and jobs are issues which help to demoralize many of these youth. If many of these gang members desired to leave their gang, what rehabilitative incentives would be available to support their efforts? The choices are few, so the alternative to remain within their gang may offer a false sense of support for them, but it is still support.

Conclusion

There is no greater tool for overcoming the disadvantages created by conditions imposed by the imbalances in our society then the will of a human being to affect change in their own lives and the lives of others. Yet, there are conditions so overbearing upon individuals they are demoralized before they can effectively understand they have control over their own lives. Kids that are exposed to gang environments can not easily recognize or become familiar with the potential alternatives. They are drawn into the fear for their own lives and the lives of people they love. Despite the hype to the contrary, most gang members are human beings too. But beware! There are socio paths which lurk in the crowds of many of these gangs.

In order to dismantle a gang all of the above social entities must cooperatively work together. The assault against gangs must be directed at their leadership and their icons. Icons are not necessarily leaders, but they are members whom other gang members look up to with reverence or fear. The icons are usually the most dangerous among them; they also set the violent boundaries on what members will or will not do to others.

Without a concerted effort by all the entities, gangs will try to intimidate the community in which they have set up their territories. Without support from people within a community: neighbors, businesses, and churches, activities to keep youth busy will not be established. Gangs will merely go into hiding or another territory if they are being actively pursued by law enforcement. Killers will be released out onto the streets if they are caught and arrested. Members will continue to execute street justice upon whomever they wish without consideration for the consequences to the victims, the victims’ families and their own families. And until society has something better to offer future gang members as other options, gangs will continue to recruit neighborhood kids. The cycle will continue onto future generations.

In order to make changes with gangs, changes must be made with their environment. Only the cooperation between the community, law enforcement, the justice system, their social support, political support and economic support will inspire a different lifestyle for gang members. Our reality about gangs is there will always be some in our society. If we can not eradicate them, then it would be in our best interest as a society to work on converting them to a progressive force instead of a destructive one within their communities.