Gangs in the United States:
In 2012, there were an estimated 30,700 gangs (an increase from 29,900 in 2011) and 850,000 gang members (an increase from 782,500 in 2011) throughout 3,100 jurisdictions with gang problems (down from 3,300 in 2011).
Gang Homicides:
The number of reported gang-related homicides increased 20 percent from 1,824 in 2011 to 2,363 in 2012
Trends in Gang Activity:
In 2012, gangs were active in slightly less than 30 percent of the responding jurisdictions. This estimate has declined slightly over the past 4 consecutive years and is at the lowest point in nearly a decade.
The decline from 2011 to 2012 can be almost solely attributed to the drop in smaller cities, where gang prevalence has decreased nearly 10 percentage points since 2010.
Across jurisdiction types, prevalence rates of gang activity followed a marked decline in the late 1990s, increased in the early 2000s, and, with the exception of smaller cities, have generally stabilized in recent years.
Source: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/248025.pdf .
There are an estimated 2 million + people in America who are incarcerated and despite what society and the legal system believe, jails and prisons are training centers and recruiting grounds for the deadliest gangs on American soil.
Prison gangs are reaching from their cells, recruiting and killing in record numbers and often kids as young as 8 to 10 are forced of manipulated into dirty work for those same gangs. Many might ask, how would you say they reach from their cells and recruit kids that young>?
Well, of the 2 million + who are locked up right now, many will walk out of jail or prison and when they do, many of them are obligated to pay debts they acquired while in prison. Debts for protection, drugs and so forth, and because many are cowards and always wanna avoid arrests at all cost, they recruit young kids who look up to them, or want new clothes or a number of different reasons.
What do I care and what qualifies me to share on such a subject? I am a no one special from no where special who lived and breathed inside the confines of prison for 15+ years, gangs tried to recruit me, hurt me and kill me repeatedly.
I witness many young people get sucked right into the life, they come into prison with a short sentence and because of illegal activities in prison, many of them got sentenced to very lengthy sentences and those who didn’t were obligated to get out and do illegal works for those gangs who protected them inside.
Gangs can reach outside them razor wire fences and those brick walls and they do, some times they wipe out entire families because of what one person did wrong.
This knowledge and experience I have has led me to serve CHRIST and in 2006 I got out and hit the streets running to share Hope, help and inspiration to those who are most At Risk.
In 2009 glory to GOD, I was blessed to establish FIERCE YOUTH OUTREACH. A gang intervention ministry.
God almighty recycles and calls the least of us and He allowed me to witness all that death and mayhem so that I might share His love to just one and help them avoid that way of life.
http://www.facebook.com/fierceyouthoutreach
God gets all the glory for today I am a minister of the GOSPEL and because of my REAL LIFE experiences I am considered an EXPERT gang intervention facilitator / prevention specialist or whatever you wanna call it- Im just a blessed man who Christ saved!!!