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Conclusion Youth gang involvement in drug sales and distribution is widespread, cutting across all demographic sectors, particularly age, race/ethnicity, geographic region, and population categories. However, according to law enforcement agency responses to the 1998 National Youth Gang Survey, extensive gang involvement in drug trafficking appears to be concentrated in a relatively small number of jurisdictions. Every jurisdiction experiencing a gang problem needs to assess its specific problem before deciding on a response.23 A different community response likely will be needed for different types of gangs involved in drug trafficking. Adult criminal organizations that control drug distribution systems and drug gangs are susceptible to suppression strategies (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1997). Youth gangs may be less tractable because they are embedded in the social and cultural fabric of communities and integrally related to the adolescent developmental period. They require a more comprehensive response that combines prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies (Burch and Chemers, 1997).
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