More Action, Less Theory: Policing Gangs, Book Review Example

The issue of gang activity is inherently complex, as it also appears to have evolved in recent decades in ways changing older ideas regarding it. Gangs in some form have been a common element in American life, generated by urbanization and “displaced” youth. There is also an intimidating factor at play whenever groups of young people come together in the usually rebellious way that marks gang composition. At the same time, a real problem was not identified until the later years of the 20^th century. In the 1970s, 19 states reported gang problems; two decades later, all 50 states were acknowledging growing violence and other gang-related issues (Howell, 2011, p. 2). Consequently, a large body of research has grown regarding criminal justice approaches and social theories accounting for the gangs themselves. Policing Gangs in America, by Charles Katz and Vincent Webb, concerns itself more with the former. It is a work reflecting studies conducted by the authors on the modern techniques used by police throughout the nation; it delves into theory only as prompted by established information; and it ultimately argues that deeper investigation is needed regarding police interventions which, as the authors document, consistently fail.

The documentation and research presented here is both extensive and strong, and it is further enhanced by the authors’ refusal to editorialize about their findings. The book begins with a reporting of a police response to gangs that was nationally impactful, and also crucial to their argument for further investigation into the most effective ways of dealing with gangs. As Los Angeles became known, and justifiably so, as an epicenter of gang violence and crime in the 1980s, Police Chief Daryl Gates appealed for federal support and established the Community Resource Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) program. A “war on gangs” was declared, and initial results were promising; violent crime dropped significantly within only a few years, and CRASH was adopted as something of a national police model. Unfortunately, it was soon determined that the police were engaging in activities as criminal as those of the gangs, and the Rampart corruption scandal exploded. Police admitted to targeting Hispanic and black youth, and beating and arresting them based on no evidence of illegality (Katz, Webb, 2006, pp. 2-5). The authors then relate this to equally criminal activity recognized in cities ranging from Houston to Chicago.

Following chapters offer background on police response to gangs, the models of police gang task forces, and the realities of the results as, again, documented in intensive research. All of this works to promote the point of the authors, which is that gang response by police thus far is as riddled with problems as the gangs themselves. It is their larger intent that planning and research is urgently required simply because the existing models seem to consistently reflect actual gang mentalities. Katz and Webb reveal, for example, that their studies reflect virtually no successful version of the comprehensive gang unit, which is designed to gain intelligence and suppress in equal measures ( 2006, p. 162). This is the idealized, or most likely to succeed, model, yet the authors invariably document instances of single units, acting almost as independent police forces, instead.

The book itself is well-written and readable, despite occasional lapses into strict reporting of findings. The structure is sound as, again, an introduction conveying the gravity of the gang problem, and based on fact, is followed by a sequence of subjects pertinent to it. There is, true to the book’s intent, a chapter devoted to the police officer assigned to gang duty, noting racial, age, and gender traits. This goes to why the book is admirable, and different from many others treating the subject. As noted, even in the face of extreme police responses that echo criminality, the authors are less interested in theory, and more after identifying the processes by which this literal perversion of police responsibility occurs. Nothing is set out to demand the reader’s agreement; instead, evidence after evidence is presented that irrefutably reveals cycles of violence expressed by police reaction to gang violence, and an equally consistent disregard of police ethics and policies which also, ironically, mirror gang agendas. This is a book I would highly recommend for anyone interested in gangs, if only because it largely sets social theory aside to take a complex and intense look at a truly striking contradiction within the criminal justice system. The police who take on gangs become, it seems, “the bad guys,” and the authors make an excellent case for the need to delve deeper into how this may be prevented.

References

Howell, J. C. (2011). Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs. Collingdale: DIANE Publishing.

Katz, C. M., & Webb, V. J. (2006). Policing Gangs in America. New York: Cambridge University Press.