Photo Credit: Phil Roeder / Moment / Getty Images
Week 4: Interventions to Combat Criminal Organizations—Part I
Theories provide the foundation for understanding membership and proliferation of criminal organizations. But how can those theories be applied in the field to combat the activities of existing groups and prevent new groups from forming? The next 3 weeks introduce tools and methods criminal justice professionals can use to address the problem.
For example, imagine you are a law enforcement officer investigating a robbery-homicide. One piece of evidence about the suspect, conveyed by a reluctant witness, is a distinctive tattoo on the individual’s neck. You are able to search in a database to determine the gang affiliated with that tattoo, thus narrowing the suspect pool significantly. Alternatively, imagine you are a consultant lobbying for new federal legislation enacting harsher sentences for gang-related offenses.
This week, you move from theory to practice as you explore two methods in place to combat gangs and criminal organizations: gang databases and legislation.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Evaluate the use of gang databases to combat criminal organizations
Evaluate legislation related to crimes committed by criminal organizations
BELOW IS THE DISCUSSION QUESTION I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED WHAT NEEDS ATTENTION. PLEASE READ ALL DIRECTIONS FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOMOF THIS PAPER TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PUT IT TOGETHER. THIS NEED TO BE A 150 TO 200 WORD COUNT WITH REFERENCE. IF YOU SHOULD NEED ANY CLARIFICATION PLEASE REACH OUT AND I WILL TRY TO HELP THANKS…
Discussion: Gang Databases
In the 1980s, when gang-related violence was on the rise, law enforcement agencies began to collect data on gang members. This data was eventually transferred into electronic gang databases, many of which are still maintained today. Today’s gang databases include information about gangs, such as their location, symbols, and alliances and rivalries, and information about actual or suspected gang members, such as their names, tattoos, vehicles, and areas they frequent. Gang databases help law enforcement solve gang-related crimes more quickly and target members that may benefit from deterrence programs. Despite the benefits of gang databases, many cities are moving toward eliminating them all together.
In this Discussion, you explore how law enforcement officers identify gang members, the pros and cons of using gang databases, and whether such databases should continue to be used.
To prepare:
Determine whether your local law enforcement agency uses a gang database. If you do not work at the agency, you may find this information on the Internet or by calling the agency to ask.
Post a response that addresses the following:
How do your local law enforcement officers identify potential gang members?
Does law enforcement in your community rely on a gang database?
What are the pros and cons of using a gang database?
Should gang databases continue to be used to combat gang-related activities? Why or why not?
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Photographer: Phil Roeder / Getty Images / Moment
Part I of Week 4: Interventions to Combat Criminal Organizations
Theories serve as the foundation for understanding the formation and spread of criminal organizations. But how can those theories be utilized in the field to counteract the actions of existing groups and prevent the formation of new groups? The tools and approaches that criminal justice professionals can use to address the problem will be introduced over the next three weeks.
Consider yourself a law enforcement officer investigating a robbery-homicide. A distinctive tattoo on the suspect’s neck, conveyed by a reluctant witness, is one piece of evidence concerning the culprit. You can use a database to cut down the suspect pool dramatically by searching for the gang associated with that tattoo. As an alternative, pretend you are
