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Gangs in Texas: Results of the 1995 Attorney General Gang Survey

NCJ Number
173148
Date Published
1995
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Because gang activities in Texas were increasing as of 1992, a survey of major metropolitan police and sheriff departments and attorneys was conducted in 1995 to quantify the extent of the gang problem.
Abstract
Survey forms were sent to 948 police and sheriff departments and to 238 district attorneys, criminal district attorneys, and county attorneys. Written responses were mailed or faxed to the Texas Office of the Attorney General during February 1995. Survey participants were asked to respond to questions about gangs and gang activities within their jurisdictions. Of the 948 police and sheriff departments, 425 responded, for a response rate of 44.8 percent. Of the 425 respondents, 315 were municipal police departments and 108 were sheriff departments. Responses were received from 121 of the 238 prosecutors, for a response rate of 50.8 percent. Law enforcement respondents from all jurisdictions reported the gang problem was getting worse. Respondents emphasized drug offenses as the for-profit activity of choice among gangs. The most frequently cited offenses overall, however, were assaults, drive-by shootings, and other gang-related homicides. Despite the fact that many police and sheriff departments tracked gang membership, an accurate gang count was not available. Gangs were present in most Texas communities, but their members tended to be younger and less violent in small and rural jurisdictions. Gangs in major urban settings were both numerous and dangerous. Two-thirds of district and county attorneys serving large jurisdictions reported having problems with witness intimidation. More than half of all prosecutors reported problems with the "code of silence" under which gang members refused to testify or press charges against other gangs. Another 42 percent of prosecutors said they faced courtroom safety issues. Survey findings are detailed with respect the extent of the gang problem, kinds of gangs, gang activities, gang weapon use, gang migration, the police response to gangs, strategies for dealing with gangs, and tracking and reporting gang activities. 4 tables and 10 figures