VIOLENCE

           In the 1970’s, gangs began to change their way of resolved issues with rival gang members.  In this era, the fists fighting between the gangs had a tremendous decline, but the homicide rate escalated.  The cause of the escalating homicide rate is because the gangs are using weapons such as knives and guns to resolve their problems.  The result of the use of these weapons ended many lives (OJJDP, 2011).  Gangs no longer fight with their fist.   Killing is the new way of warning rival gang members of what would be the consequences if they disrespect the gang.  This is the beginning of getting honor and pride for defending territory (OJJDP, 2011).  Overtime, gangs changed their motives and their use of weapon.  Brass knuckles were getting unpopular and guns became the new choice of weapon.  The use of firearms escalated.  Gang members began carrying firearms in public.  Because of the easy access to firearms, violent confrontations between rival gang members were being resolved by shooting and killing.  With these weapons, youth gangs started practicing the new ways of eliminating their enemies.  The most common method is drive by shooting.  According to Violence Policy Center, drive by shooting occurs when rounds of ammunitions are fired from a vehicle (VPC, 2009).  Majority of the time, the shooter or shooters are in the vehicle as they are rapidly shooting at their targets.  Due to the rapid firing, the shooters usually miss their targets.  That is why the results of drive by shootings are usually innocent bystanders getting shot and killed.  Only a small percentage of the multiple times, the rival gang members get hit during these rampages.  Due to the drive by shootings and violence that occurred, the homicide rate escalated.  Los Angeles County recorded over twenty-seven homicides in fifteen years (VPC, 2009).  All the homicides occurred from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s (VPC, 2009).  The majority of the homicides were gang related.  Los Angeles was not the only city that was experiencing these gang problems.  Most Major cities across the nation were also experiencing these undesirable behaviors.

In Seattle, Washington, youth gangs were known to committing more serious and violent acts.  The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention recorded an increase in a variety of crimes in Seattle (OJJDP, 2011).  The majority of crimes were committed by youth gang members.  The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention also recorded youth gang members committing five times more crimes than youths who are not affiliated with gangs (OJJDP, 2011).  In Denver, Colorado, there were many changes after 1970.  Youth gang members began committing more seriour crime than ever.  After 1970, youth gang members were responsible for the majority of crimes in the city.  This involved crime such as homicides, attempted homicide, and much more.  These acts were usually committed with the use of firearms.  The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention recorded youth gang members committing seven times more serious crimes than non gang affiliated individuals (OJJDP, 2011).  The use of firearm changes in the way gang members deal with their issues and the choice of weapons changed history forever.  The most violent era starts here in the 1970’s.  

Gang method of operation changed forever, since firearms were introduced to the gangs.  The lethal weapons became the number one use of choice.  Out of the different types of firearms, nine millimeters handguns quickly became the number one choice of handgun (VPC, 2009).  Gang members favor this weapon because of the size and the rounds that the gun holds.  The size of the gun made it more convenience to carry and easier to conceal.  The rounds that the gun holds also made it more convenience for the shooters.  Unlike revolvers, nine millimeters handgun holds up to sixteen shots.  With the multiple rounds, a person is more likely to get shot during a drive by. 

In a national trend data on gang homicides, it recorded a total of six hundred and thirty-three gang related homicides involving firearms in the major cities from 1980 to 1982 (OJJDP, 2011).  Imagine what would happen as time passes and the firearms multiply in the streets.  In Los Angeles, gang related homicides increase tremendously over the years.  In 1979, Los Angeles only seventy-one percent of the total homicides were gang related homicides.  In 1994, this same survey was conducted and there was a big increase from 1979.  The gang related homicides involving firearms in 1994 jumped to ninety-five percent (OJJDP, 2011).  In Chicago, Illinois, gang related homicides also had a huge increased over the years.  In 1987 to 1994, the homicide rate increased almost five times.  Firearms were the cause of increase in homicides.  As a result to these homicides, more and more gang members are carrying firearms.  As for youth gang members, their purpose for carrying a firearm is to protect themselves.  They fear that rival gang members might catch them without firearms.  Youth gang member believes that by having a weapon they are more secured and less likely to get killed.  They are more secured with weapons, but by having weapons, they are more likely to use them.  This creates more homicides and it had increased the crime rates in our nation.

Bibliography

OJJDP.  (2011).  Youth Gang and Violence.  Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.  http://www.ojjdp.gov/jjbulletin/9808/youth.html

VPC.  (2009, February).  Youth Gang Violence and Guns: Data Collection in California.  Violence Policy Center.   http://www.vpc.org/studies/CAgang.pdf