Military-trained gang members in the Volunteer State: Four year follow-up with the investigators (original) (raw)

Perceptions of Gang Investigators Regarding Presence of Military-Trained Gang Members

Communities everywhere have experienced the negative effects of street gangs. Gang activity in the form of crime and violence has had a devastating effect on the lives of citizens and the safety of our communities. The presence of military-trained gang members (MTGMs) in the community increases the threat of violence to citizens. The problem addressed in this quantitative correlational research study was the apparently growing presence of military-trained gang members in civilian communities. The purpose of the study was to more closely examine the nexus between the perceived presence of military-trained gang members and the perceptions of gang investigators regarding the presence and the size of their jurisdictions, the proximity of their jurisdictions to a military installation, and the extent to which investigators participate in anti-gang activities. An online survey, the Military Gang Perception Questionnaire (MGPQ), was created to collect responses from the 260 active members of the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association (TNGIA). The electronic distribution of the survey was facilitated by Google Documents. A sample size calculation was computed for a multiple regression analysis involving seven predictors, a significance level of .05, a power of 80%, and a medium effect size (f 2 =0.15). That power analysis indicated that N =103 was sufficient to detect this size of effect. The statistical analyses used to test the hypotheses in this study were Pearson and Spearman Correlation Coefficients, independent means t tests, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression analysis. Many of the 119 respondents felt anti-gang prohibitions would limit the activity of MTGMs. Respondents reported a mean of 11% of the gang members in their jurisdictions were MTGMs. The Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve were identified as the largest sources of MTGMs and the Bloods, Crips, and Gangster Disciples were the gangs most represented. There was a statistically significant positive correlation (?=.24, p <.05) between MTGM presence percent score and jurisdiction size. There was also a statistically significant positive correlation (?=.28, p <.05) between MTGM presence percent score and the distance from the nearest military installation (computed). Recommendations included that military leadership should conduct cumulative tracking and analysis of gang threats, and apply an all-hands approach to identifying gang members in the military. When an installation shows a decrease in gang-related activity, solutions that led to the decrease should be identified. Military leadership should identify and examine all suspected military gang members and policy makers should identify gangs and related groups as Security Threat Groups. School Location: United States -- Arizona Keyword(s): Gangs, Street gangs, Military, Armed forces, Gang members, Military-trained Source: DAI-A 72/02, Aug 2011 Source type: Dissertation Subjects: Criminology, Public policy, Military studies Publication Number: AAT 3437991 ISBN: 9781124391373 Document URL: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=2242475201&Fmt=7&clientI d=79356&RQT=309&VName=PQDProQuest document ID: 2242475201"

Military-Trained Gang Members – Two different perspectives

Communities everywhere have experienced the negative effects of street gangs. The presence of military-trained gang members (MTGMs) in the community increases the threat of violence to citizens. The problem addressed was the growing presence of MTGMs in civilian communities in two locations. The purpose was to determine the perceived presence of MTGMs by two different groups. Gang investigators in Millington, TN and patrol officers in El Paso, TX were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the presence of MTGMs in their communities. Most respondents in both groups indicated that they had seen a recent increase in the number of military-trained personnel associated with gangs. Recommendations for policymakers included identifying gangs and related groups as Security Threat Groups (STGs) to limit the potential for the perception of racial bias in criminal gang investigations. Recommendations for military leaders included acknowledgement of the annual fluctuation in gang-related crime without arbitrarily quantifying the threat level. Recommendations for commanders included treating all drug trafficking cases as if gang members were in some way connected, whether in manufacturing or distribution. This article was developed from a paper submitted to the American Society of Criminology conference (November 2012).

Gang Investigators' Perceptions of Military-Trained Gang Members in the Southern U.S.

Gang Investigators’ Perceptions of Military-trained Gang Members (MTGM)

Critical Issues in Justice and Politics. Link here http://suu.edu/hss/polscj/journal/V5N1.pdf

Communities everywhere have experienced the negative effects of street gangs. The presence of military-trained gang members (MTGMs) in the community increases the threat of violence to citizens. The problem addressed in this study was the apparently growing presence of military-trained gang members in civilian communities. The purpose of the study was to determine the perceived presence of military-trained gang members and to examine whether there was a relationship between the perceptions of gang investigators regarding the presence and the size of their jurisdictions, the proximity of their jurisdictions to a military installation, and the extent to which investigators participate in anti-gang activities. The statistical analyses used to test the hypotheses in this study were Pearson and Spearman Correlation Coefficients, independent means t tests, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression analysis. Respondents reported a mean of 11% of the gang members in their jurisdictions were MTGMs. The Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve were identified as the largest sources of MTGMs and the Bloods, Crips, and Gangster Disciples were the gangs most represented. Recommendations included all branches of the military therein should adopt a uniform definition of gangs. Military leaders should acknowledge the increase in gang-related crime affecting the military and address the problems caused for both military and civilian communities without attempting to quantify the threat level. Military leadership should continuously examine the activities of all suspected military gang members to determine active gang affiliation for retention purposes while evaluating any gang affiliation for security clearances. Military Law Enforcement liaison for recruiters should develop effective communication with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to assist with information sharing." Keywords: articles of gangs in the army, military crime, research articles, us military training gangs, gang-related activity in the us armed forces increasing, dod strategic plan for gangs in the military, army definition of gang, army enlistment, gang activity in the us military, street gangs in the military, percent of military personnel have gang association

Street Gangs, Terrorists and Outlaw Bikers: Examining the community threat of organized crime groups with military trained members

Communities everywhere have experienced the negative effects of street gangs, domestic terrorists, and outlaw motorcycle gangs. The presence of these criminals increases the threat of violence to the community. When they have military training, the threat increases significantly. The problem addressed in this study was the growing presence of military-trained gang members in civilian communities. The purpose of the study was to determine the perceived presence of military-trained gang members in jails and community corrections and to examine whether there was a relationship between the perceptions of sheriff’s deputies regarding that presence and a number of variables.

A Comprehensive Literature Review of Military-Trained Gang Members

"Abstract The U.S. military has seen an increase in crimes committed by gang members within the ranks. Authors of a recent assessment reported an increase in the investigation of gang-related incidents by military investigators in 2006 over previous years. While the presence of gang members in the military is not new, their presence has received increased attention from government leaders. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature in order to examine the prevalence of gang members with military training. NCJ Number: 236964 Index Term(s): Juvenile gangs ; Military crime ; Gang member attitudes Five databases were searched: ProQuest ABI/INFORM Global, Criminal Justice Periodicals, ProQuest Psychology Journals, and Sage Criminology. The keywords used included gang AND armed services OR military OR armed forces OR army OR navy OR air force. The search yielded 95 results. Abstracts and titles of each result were reviewed for relevance to the topic and none of the articles were found to meet the criteria. Beyond the above review, the author’s personal collection of gang-related literature was examined. This collection was compiled from periodic informal searches of sites that advertise books (e.g. Amazon), the Internet (for open access publications), and referrals from colleagues aware of the author’s interest in the subject since approximately 1990.The U.S. military has seen an increase in crimes committed by gang members within the ranks. Authors of a recent assessment reported an increase in the investigation of gang-related incidents by military investigators in 2006 over previous years. While the presence of gang members in the military is not new, their presence has received increased attention from government leaders. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature in order to examine the prevalence of gang members with military training.Keywords: gang activity in the us military, street gangs in the military, percent of military personnel have gang association, gangs in the military" To cite this abstract, use the following link from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=258984"

GANGS AND THE MILITARY NOTE 2: MILITARY-TRAINED GANG MEMBERS AS CRIMINAL INSURGENTS

Small Wars Journal, 2018

Military-trained gang members (MTGMs) have received military training such as tactics, weapons, explosives, or equipment, and the use of distinctive military skills. Gangs with military-trained members often pose an ongoing and persistent military and political threat. At least one-tenth of one percent of the U.S. population is an MTGM, and there are between 150,000 and 500,000 MTGMs. That number demonstrates an alarming domestic and national security threat that includes a number of potentially significant implications for government leaders in the U.S., and in other countries where third generation (3GEN) Gangs or Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) are prevalent. The intersection of MTGMs and criminal insurgencies threatens national security and communities, undermining the economic and political foundations of local and state government. These criminal organizations often behave like insurgents, engaging in governance to support the illicit marketplace or acting in police or social roles in the community. Counterinsurgency strategies, including cultural awareness should be implemented alongside traditional anti-gang measures.

Gangs and the Military Note 3: The Role of the West Coast in the Development of Military-Trained Gang Members

Small Wars Journal, 2020

MTGMs, whether from Street Gangs, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs), or Domestic Terrorist Extremist (DTE) groups, have endangered U.S. communities since before the birth of the country. Early gang leaders acquired military training before and during the Revolutionary War, and continued their criminal activity as the population transitioned westward. The earliest MTGMs included river pirates, stealing cargo and attacking passengers along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and later the street gangsters who controlled much of the criminal street business in New York, New York and some of the police and politicians of that time. Members of one DTE group started as a New York street gang, received military training and experience in Mexico during the Mexican-American War, and were released from active duty in the newly-named city of San Francisco, just before the Gold Rush of 1848. The issues of MTGMs today tend to mirror those in history, indicating that a solution to the problem is elusive, perhaps even unattainable.Survey results regarding the perception of MTGM presence in the Western United States are included, as are the results of the most recent Gang and Domestic Extremist Activity Threat Assessment (GDEATA) by the U.S. Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC). The connection of street gangs, OMGs, and DTEs to the military was examined, as were possible remedies for limiting the dangerousness of those criminals in the community. The note is intended to promote the awareness of the MTGM situation and encourage scholars and practitioners to conduct research concerning this issue in other locations in the United States and foreign nations towards identifying strategies to control the problem or mitigate the effects. The confluence of gangs and the military presents significant social and security challenges with significant national and global security potentials.

Documenting the Pilot: the Military Gang Perception Questionnaire (MGPQ)

Roughly 80% of all crimes were committed by members of criminal gangs, and many gang members have had military training. No prior research that addressed the effects of Military-Trained Gang Members (MTGMs) on the civilian community was identified. Using the current literature, interviews with gang investigators and MTGMs, and the practical experience of the researcher as a guide, the process of survey design was completed. The assistance of subject matter experts was used to develop and refine the survey for length, format, and scope, and the survey was developed for online distribution. Pilot data was collected. After data analysis, the MGPQ was modified and revised, resulting in the final draft of the survey for the study. For access to the full article, contact The Journal of Gang Research, the Official Publication of the National Gang Crime Research Center. Journal of Gang Research Subscription Department National Gang Crime Research Center P.O. Box 990 Peotone, IL 60468-0990Or http://www.ngcrc.com/ngcrc/page2.htmKeywords: gang activity in the us military, street gangs in the military, percent of military personnel have gang association, gangs in the military, gang-related activity in the us armed forces increasing"

Military-trained gang members in the Volunteer State: Four year follow-up with the investigators (original) (raw)

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