Gangs Becoming More Diverse With Africans, Caribbeans, Asians ...... For Zepp

[MattB]

Gangs Becoming More Diverse With Africans, Caribbeans, Asians

http://atlantablackstar.com/2012/07/30/gangs-becoming-more-diverse-with-africans-caribbeans-asians/

Gang violence has been something that has been galvanizing the black
community for decades. The statistics are alarming and the personal
stories are heartbreaking yet the pervasiveness of gangs hasn�t
lessened. According to a 2011 report from the National Gang Threat
Assessment (NGTA), there are estimated to be over 1 million active
street gang members affiliated with more than 33,000 gangs. The report
also cited gangs as responsible for 48 percent of violent crime in
some areas and up to 90 percent in other areas.
According to a piece by The Grio, gangs are even targeting children as
young as 8.
�In Los Angeles we have multi-generational gangs, with kids growing up
in gang families,� says Brian Center, director of A Better LA, an
organization dedicated to end violence on LA Streets. �We also see
gang members recruiting kids who are around 8-years-old. It�s only
when they are teenagers that we really start to see the violence.�
The racial makeup of gangs is also changing, with the NGTA reporting
an increase in gang members of continental African, Asian, Eurasian,
Caribbean, and Middle Eastern descent.
Law enforcement and community organizations have been working hard to
combat gang violence but they have met some challenges. One issue is
the lack of witnesses willing to testify against gang members because
they fear retaliation.
�When it�s a crime in our community it�s brushed under the carpet and
no one seems to care,� Diane Harrell, whose son was murdered by gang
violence six years ago, told The Grio.