OMB Number, Expires:
2 007 Census of Law
Enforcement Gang Units
Bureau of Justice Statistics
U.S. Department of Justice
Chief John Q. Smith
Akron Police Department
Akron, OH
Dear Chief Smith:
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), through contract with the Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence at Kent State University, is conducting a study of the law enforcement community’s response to street gang. The 2007 Census of Law Enforcement Gang Units corresponds with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s initiative for the improvement of knowledge, policy, practice, and training on gang prevention and anti-gang enforcement. The Census will focus on large police agencies nationwide with at least one officer dedicated primarily to gang activity. The goal is to collect data regarding how law enforcement agencies are organized to deal with gangs, the gang problems they face, and the types of tactics they employ.
We request that you participate in this important survey effort. The information collected will assist law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice community as a whole in the development of more effective programs to prevent gang violence and enforce anti-gang laws when such violence does occur. Findings will be available from the BJS website (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs) in 2009.
Although this survey is voluntary, we need and appreciate your cooperation to make the results comprehensive, accurate, and timely. We have designed the questionnaire to be as straightforward and concise as possible and ask that you complete it within 14 days. If you have any questions contact Dr. Thomas Brewer, principal investigator, at: 330-672-0315 and/or twbrewer@kent.edu.
Sincerely,
Director,
Bu Bureau of Justice Statistics
The Census of Law Enforcement Gang Units is endorsed by the following agencies:
2 007 Census of Law
Enforcement Gang Units
Bureau of Justice Statistics
U.S. Department of Justice
SECTION 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Please provide the official name of your gang unit: (for example, ‘Union City Gang Unit’)
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2. What year was the gang unit created?
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3. Does your gang unit routinely address any of the following types of groups?
a. Street gangs Yes No
b. “Wannabe” gangs (emulate the gang lifestyle but commit few actual crimes) Yes No
c. Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG) Yes No
d. Hate groups (for example, Aryan
Nation) Yes No
e. Prison gangs Yes No
f. Terrorist organizations Yes No
g. Organized crime families (e.g. mafia) Yes No
h. Other Yes No
4. Does your jurisdiction make use of civil gang participation injunctions?
Yes No
5. Does your unit have a formal definition someone must meet in order to be classified as a gang member?
Yes No
If yes, is that definition set by statue?
Yes No
What is this definition?
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6. Does your unit have a formal definition a group must meet in order to be classified as a gang?
Yes No
If yes, is that definition set by statue?
Yes No
What is this definition?
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SECTION 2 – PERSONNEL
7. Report the number of full-time equivalent employees assigned to your gang unit by the following categories as of August 1, 2007
Total sworn personnel assigned to gang unit
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Uniformed Officers? |
Plainclothes Officers? |
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a. Full-Time
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Yes No |
Yes No |
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b. Part-Time
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Yes No |
Yes No |
Total sworn personnel assigned to gang unit by gender
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Males |
Females |
a. Full-Time |
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b. Part-Time |
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Total sworn personnel assigned to gang unit by race/ethnicity
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Full-Time |
Part-Time |
a. White (non-Hispanic officers |
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b. Black (non-Hispanic) officers |
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c. Hispanic officers |
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d. Asian officers |
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e. American Indian or Alaskan Native officers |
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g. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander officers |
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h. Two or more races |
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i. No information available* |
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* This category should be used to report officers for whom no information on race or Hispanic origin is available.
Total non-sworn personnel assigned to gang unit
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Males |
Females |
a. Full-Time |
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b. Part-Time |
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8. How are officers primarily selected or assigned to your gang unit?
Competitive selection process when vacancies/
opportunities occur (e.g., promotion board)
Command staff identifies line officers who are then assigned to the unit
Current gang unit officers identify line officers who are then assigned to the unit
Other
9. Which of the following best describe the formal selection standards/criteria for gang unit officers? Mark (X) one for each:
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Standard set the same for all officers |
Standard set higher for gang unit officers |
Not used as a selection standard |
a. Complaint history |
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b. Discipline history |
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c. Use-of-Force record |
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d. Financial/credit history |
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10. Is there a maximum amount of time that officers can serve in the gang unit?
Yes No
If yes, what is the maximum time? (Include all possible extensions)
Years |
Months |
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11a. Do you specifically recruit officers with any of the following characteristics?
a. Minority officers Yes No
b. Female officers Yes No
c. Officers who speech foreign
languages Yes No
d. Officers raised in neighborhoods
similar to those typically served
by the gang unit Yes No
11b. Do you have difficulty recruiting officers with any of the following characteristics?
a. Minority officers Yes No
b. Female officers Yes No
c. Officers who speak foreign
languages Yes No
d. Officers raised in neighborhoods
similar to those typically served
by the gang unit Yes No
e. Other characteristics your unit looks for in potential members
12. Do new members of your gang unit receive any formal training related to gangs?
a. A specialized training at an
academy or other formal setting Yes No
b. On-the-job training Yes No
c. Other Yes No
13. Do members of the gang unit receive periodic training on gang issues at conferences or other formal settings outside of your agency?
Yes No
SECTION 3 – OPERATIONS
14. Do officers in your gang unit regularly respond to general calls for service (not necessarily gang related)?
Yes No
15. Rank the following functions in terms of how your unit spends the greatest proportion of time? (1= the unit spends the greatest proportion of time on this function 5=equals the least amount of time) Use each number only once.
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6. Does your gang unit utilize any of the following types of patrol or operational activities?
a. Foot patrol Yes No
b. Bicycle patrol Yes No
c. Directed/targeted patrol of high
crime areas Yes No
d. Routine patrol Yes No
e. Undercover gang infiltration Yes No
f. Undercover surveillance
operations Yes No
g. Other Yes No
17. Do any of the following agencies assign personnel to work with the gang unit on a regular basis?
a. Housing authority management Yes No
b. Probation Yes No
c. Parole Yes No
d. State or local prosecutor Yes No
e. Officials from local, state, and/or
federal detention facilities Yes No
f. Other Yes No
18. Does your gang unit participate in any local/regional task forces that primarily investigate gangs?
Yes No
If Yes, what is the name of the task force?
19. Does your unit work with federal law enforcement agencies in any of the following capacities?
a. Investigation of crimes Yes No
b. Participation in federal task force Yes No
c. Screening of selected cases Yes No
d. Participation in enforcement/
operational planning Yes No
e. Other Yes No
SECTION 4 – GANG INFORMATION
20. Do your gangs finance themselves through any of the following sources?
a. Weapons trafficking Yes No
b. Drug trafficking Yes No c. Street-level drug sales Yes No d. Human trafficking Yes No e. Gambling Yes No f. Gang members maintain
legitimate employment and pay
dues to the gang Yes No
g. Prostitution Yes No
h. Sales of forged identity documents Yes No
i. Economic crimes (e.g. credit card
theft, forged checks, mortgage fraud) Yes No
j. Pornography Yes No
k. Other Yes No
SECTION 5 – INTELLIGENCE
21. Does your department/unit track ‘gang-related’ or gang-motivated’ incidents, offenses, and/or arrests?
Yes If yes, please supply the total number of ‘gang-related’ and/or ‘gang-motivated’ arrests in each of the following categories over the most recent 12 month period available (please check the box(es) to indicate whether the counts refer to arrests that are gang-related, gang-motivated, or both)
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Related |
Motivated |
Both |
Total No |
a. Homicide |
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b. Other Violent Offenses |
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c. Property Offense |
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d. Narcotics |
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e. Economic Crimes |
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f. Misdemeanors (not included in above categories) |
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No
22. Does your unit monitor gang graffiti?
Yes No
23. Does your gang unit track individual gang members?
Yes No
If yes, how is it done? Mark (X) all that apply
Paper System
Computerized System
If computerized system, please specify
Gangnet
Rissnet
VGTOF
GRIP
CalGangs
System created within the department
Other
24. Does anyone routinely audit your gang databases to remove?
a. Deceased members Yes No
b. Incarcerated members Yes No
c. Inactive members Yes No
25. Does your gang unit employ any of the following technologies as part of gang investigation?
a. Monitoring internet sites
(e.g., MySpace) Yes No
b. Closed circuit cameras located in
gang neighborhood Yes No
c. GPS tracking devices Yes No
d. Crime analysis software (e.g.,
Linkage analysis, GIS) Yes No
e. Electronic listening devices Yes No
f. Other Yes No
26a. Does your department share criminal intelligence information gathered by the gang unit with any of the following groups?
a. Command staff within
my department Yes No
b. Other units/bureaus
within my department Yes No
c. Neighboring law
enforcement agencies Yes No
d. Other criminal justice
agencies (e.g., courts,
prosecutors) Yes No
26b. Does your department share non-intelligence information gathered by the gang unit with any of the following groups?
a. Command staff within
my department Yes No
b. Other units/bureaus
within my department Yes No
c. Neighboring law
enforcement agencies Yes No
d. Other criminal justice
agencies (e.g., courts,
prosecutors) Yes No
e. Non-criminal justice
agencies Yes No
f. Media outlets Yes No
g. The general public Yes No
27. How much of your gang unit activity is spent on investigating the following types of crimes.
Mark (X) on box for each crime type?
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None |
<25% |
26-50% |
51-75% |
>76% |
a. Serious violent felonies |
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b. Economic crimes |
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c. Prostitution |
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d. Narcotics |
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e. Graffiti |
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f. Immigration |
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28. Does your gang submit records to the NCIC Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File (VGTOF)?
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Yes If yes, enter the number of submissions during the past month
No
29. Does your gang unit run queries on the NCIC Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File (VGTOF)?
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Yes If yes, enter the number of queries during the past month
No
SECTION 6 – PREVENTION/INTERVENTION
30. Does your gang unit, as part of its official responsibility, participate in formalized programs aimed at preventing youth involvement in gangs? This does not include on-the-street contacts aimed at preventing gang involvement?
Yes
If yes, do you include ex-gang members in your prevention programs?
Yes No
No
31. Does your gang unit participate in the following activities?
a. Prevention activities with youth
not involved in gangs Yes No
b. Prevention activities with gang-
involved youth Yes No
c. Instructing G.R.E.A.T. or other
gang prevention programs Yes No
d. Providing gang prevention
literature to community members,
families, youth, etc Yes No
e. Prevention activities with faith-
based organizations Yes No
f. Other Yes No
Return Instructions
To return via fax:
ATTN: BJS Census of Law Enforcement Gang Units
(330) 672-4711
To return via U.S. Mail or commercial carrier:
BJS Census of Law Enforcement Gang Units
Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence
Kent State University
230 Cartwright Hall
Kent, OH 44242
To return via e-mail:
Completed forms may be scanned into an Adobe Acrobat file and e-mailed to:
twbrewer@kent.edu
File Type | application/msword |
File Title | Chief John Q |
Author | Tom Brewer |
Last Modified By | lbryant |
File Modified | 2007-11-02 |
File Created | 2007-11-02 |