Gang Related Crimes
By The Zendeh Del Law Firm
May. 31, 2011 2:53p
A gang is defined as a group of three or more individuals who engage in criminal activity and identify themselves with a common name. The first recorded gang in the United States was started in late 1820’s in New York City; they called themselves the 40 Thieves. Thirty years later, in 1850, New York City had seen approximately 200 gang wars, which were primarily fought by youth gangs. By the 1920’s, Chicago was home to more than 1,000 gangs. Although these gangs normally engaged in criminal activities, it wasn’t until drugs were made illegal by laws enacted by the 1912 International Opium Convention and the 1919 Volstead Act, that gangs became involved in drug trafficking. Still, gang involvement in the drug trade was weak until the 1970’s and 1980’s. If you or someone you love has been arrested for a gang-related crime, contact a Plano criminal defense attorney immediately.
Modern Gangs in the United States
According to the National Youth Gang Center, there were approximately 785,000 active street gang members in the United States in 2006. Of all the major cities nationwide, Los Angeles is the Gang Capital of America, with an estimated 120,000 gang members. In 2007, there were more than 30,000 gangs and 800,000 active gang members in the United States. 1999 reports state that Hispanics accounted for 47% of all gang members, Blacks accounted for 31%, Whites accounted for 13% and Asians 6%.
Interestingly enough, the number one reason people join a gang, is due to unemployment. In nearly all cases, gangs exist and thrive in the most poor, urban communities across the nation. Nearly every major city in North America has been afflicted by gang activity. In 2006, 58% of the murders in Los Angeles were gang-related. The majority of gang-related homicides are centralized in big cities, where gangs are heavily saturated.
Plano Gang Crime Lawyer
Plano has seen its fair share of gang-related crimes. Gang-related crimes typically include:
assault, battery,
drug crimes,
weapons charges,
violent crimes,
theft crimes,
manslaughter and murder. Law enforcement comes down hard on gang-related crimes, if you committed a crime and the police find out it was in connection with a gang, you will face enhanced penalties. If you are facing gang-related charges, contact a Plano gang crime attorney from the Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC without delay.
Contact a Plano gang crime attorney from our firm for a free initial consultation.
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