What struck me most in this reading is the way in which gangs have evolved to adapt in the 21st century. The stereotypical drugs and guns we associate with street gangs are often inadequate to describe the modern gang which more and more often is getting their hands on prostitution, credit card fraud, and other lucrative, but highly specialized crimes. By engaging in illegal activity which require more complex examination and are not immediately threatening (such as guns and ‘turf’ wars), gangs are becoming more sophisticated and better able to evade the police.

Still, the question as to how we may combat further gang activity is a very real problem that needs to be addressed. On the one hand we have the argument presented by Lawrence Rosenthal who believes that preventative measures, such as greater police presence, injunctions, and other aggressive tactics are at the heart of curbing gang activity. However, it is clear from other chapters and from my observations that such practices only serve to fuel additional tensions between police and the community. Members of the community will be more likely to embrace the assessment of police as enemies trying to throw them in jail rather than as law enforcement officers trying to maintain peace and safety for all.

What’s more is that Rosenthal’s position fails to consider the socioeconomic and psychological underpinnings that lead individuals to congregate in gangs in the first place. Often the driving force in gang involvement simply has to do with the sense of identity a gang provides, especially for our youth and for those that have been beaten down by our discriminatory system after attempting to achieve success through a legal means. And so, instead of attacking them in such a fashion, and very likely impinging upon their constitutional rights in the process (as is suggested by Sanderson), it’s a good idea to look towards education, working with the youth in impoverished areas early on and giving them alternative means to express themselves as a long term solution to an ongoing problem.