The authors present a framework for a strategic risk-based response to youth gangs that can be adopted even without full communitywide collaboration and regardless of whether the focus is prevention, intervention, or suppression, or a combination of these methods. Rather than presenting a specific program, the strategic risk-based response discussed is an approach to developing and implementing programs that draws on an understanding of youth gangs, risk factors, and state-of-the-art practices in program design. Comprehensive approaches remain the ideal community-level response to youth gangs; however, even communities that are unable to implement comprehensive programs can benefit from developing a strategic risk-based response to youth gangs. A strategic risk-based response to gangs must be grounded in a general understanding of youth gangs combined with an in-depth knowledge of local youth gang problems. A community's assessment of its gang problem must, in turn, be based on an understanding of how a variety of risk factors relate to the onset and persistence of local gang activity and youth violence. The categories of risk factors discussed in this article are individual risk factors, family risk factors, school risk factors, peer group risk factors, and community risk factors. The strategic response should implement state-of-the-art practices in program design to focus activities, optimize resources, and allow for tracking program effectiveness. 5 notes and 27 references