A popular misconception associated with the street gang situation is that all gangsters are the same – that is, from gangster to gangster there is a consistency in level of activity, propensity for violence, and commitment to the gang.
This is decidedly not the case. As with any grouping of people, there will be leaders and followers, and there will be both highly committed and less so committed members. This is an important distinction to understand when addressing the gang issue, and it should help guide our suppression, intervention and prevention efforts. Hard core and highly committed members, which generally comprise about 20% of the members of a gang, are usually responsible for 80% of the violence and drama associated with the gang. A forceful police suppression response against this segment is indeed warranted and expected by us. This of course leaves the majority of members, despite their gang affiliation, as youth that we may still have the chance of turning around before they get too deep into the gang culture or its criminal activities.
The picture above is a face of commitment, a youth from El Salvador who has chosen to brand his face forever with tattoos that highlight his gang affiliation. Society may not be able to do much for a young man like this, who will likely meet his end on the street or spend many years in prison. But few gangsters look like this, or are as committed as this. This gives me hope that there is still much we can do to show at-risk youth, as well as those already running with gangs, a different path in life.
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