2. For our purpose we will define a gang as “a group of young persons who claim identification to this group and who come together for criminal or negative purposes.”

3. Why? Why do youth get involved in the gang lifestyle when there is so much evidence around them that it is a “Dead End”?

4. SUBSTITUTION BLESSED IN

7. Gangs have become prevalent in our communities. If you do not believe this take a walk through our schools and take note of the graffiti on the walls. Our children face gangs and their threat daily. Many children feel it is safer to join a gang to avoid intimidation by that gang and protection from others. Unfortunately, it can be going from the frying pan into the fire.

9.  ashes to ashes dust to dust in blood we trust in ckarbs we bust if u kill a ckarb win a prize kill a blood your whole family dies!!!! and remeber blue birds cant fly in the red bloody hell 5poppin 6droppin 5flyin 6dyin 5pimpin 6limpin 5buckin 6duckin 5comin 6runnin 5flaggin 6draggin let it rain let it drip bust a ckrab in the lip let it fall let them trip flip the clip and drop a crip!!  Let it rain let it flood Let a crip kill a blood Let it rain let it drip Kill a slob cuz I claim crip let it rain let it thunda Bury a slob six feet unda When I die show no pity Bring my soul to gangsta city 6 flyin 5 dyin 6 poppin 5 droppin Can’t stop won’t stop BK all day everyday till my blu casket drops Throw da C’z up and tha b’z down Fucc all slobs kill em wid mah knife BK all day every day

10.  The modern gangs that we are dealing with in the Caribbean can trace their roots back to the early 70’s and the formation of the first large gang “Crips”;  Gangs existed before that but were generally smaller and localized to neighborhood ;  Stanley Tookie Williams, co-founder of the crips, claimed that neighborhood gangs were formed for protection, initially violence was limited to fist fights.  Raymond Lee Washington, co-founder of the crips, left the gang life when weapons began replacing fists;  What happened that drive by shootings replaced fist fights in gang warfare!

11.  This is what gang life is all about.

12.  Crime has always been the under current of modern day street gangs;  As has violence;  However, the absurd violence that we see today came out of the 80’s and corresponds to the advent of Crack.

13. MYTHREALITY  Gang is family;  Gang is friends;  Gang is safety;  Gang is money;  Gang is respect;  Gang is power;  Gang is a drug cartel;  If there is so much money why do so many gang members live with their mothers?  If there is so much safety why are they dying in the gutters?  Respected or Feared?  How fragile is the power?

15. In legitimate business this is Figurative In the drug business this is Literal

16.  The trafficking of narcotics is an offense itself;  This offense as we have seen leads to violence and crime between the traffickers;  This is not the end of the problem as the use of these substances leads to addictions;  Addictions lead to crime as addicts due anything and everything to feed an addiction;  Do not believe me ask any criminal lawyer, police officer or member of the justice system what portion of the job is directly related to drugs.

18. Tourism is important to our way of life it must be remembered tourist to our shores come from countries that also have gang problems and are often able to recognize signs of a gangs presence and its meaning. “GRAFFITI”

19.  Gang experts generally agree that any anti- gang strategy must begin by addressing the issue of gang graffiti.  Note the term gang graffiti, not all graffiti is gang graffiti, some graffiti is art, other is relatively harmless youthful expression and simple vandalism.  Gang graffiti is fundamental to the gang and its continued presence empowers a gang and terrorizes those familiar with its meaning.

20. Ownership and Advertisement

21. Advertisement and newspaper

22. Intimidation

23. Partnership of Community, Police and Business and implement the following: * Report It. – community * Read It. – community and police * Record It – police * Remove it – community, police and business

24. GANG CONTROLCOMMUNITY CONTROL

25. NEGATIVEPOSITIVE

26.  Steady Employment;  Marriage and Family;  Non-delinquent Peer Groups;  Cessation of Substance Abuse;  Victimization and Crisis.

27.  The short answer is No!  Gang membership fills a very different need, it is much more complex, as we saw at the beginning gang membership plays a much larger role in a members life than merely providing a means to an end.  Additionally gang members face substantial pressures from within not to leave “blood in blood out”

28.  The great irony when dealing with desistance among gang members is: the reason that youth become involved with gangs is the same reason it is hard to get them out:  Join gangs to find a family;  Join gangs as they do not feel part of the greater community “marginalized”.

29. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. “Edmund Burke”

30.  Early intervention is key  Gang indoctrination begins young, sometimes as early as birth:

31.  Family  Community  Sense of belonging  Safety  Identity  A purpose

32.  It takes a whole village to raise a child!

33.  What happens when the village ignores the child?