The first street gangs were formed in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The gangs around this time were completely juvenile in their nature. Once members grew up, they would start to distance themselves from their gang. Back in this time, they were usually called ‘clubs,’ and their main purpose was to help black people defend themselves against the white ‘clubs.’ It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the term ‘gang’ was used. The gangs that are most prevalent in American cities today, the Crips and the Bloods, came into being during the 1970’s and 1980’s when Raymond Washington created a gang known as the Baby Avenues. They would eventually become known as the Crips. In the early 1980’s, several gangs formed an alliance against the Crips; they called themselves the Bloods.

erty and helplessness alone cause individuals to join street gangs. This is not completely true; even though horrible conditions may leave some with no hope for a better life, but pride also plays a role. Some people see gangs as a way of getting money and goods without having to have other help them. Also, racism can play a role. As was mentioned before, the early black gangs came together in reaction to racism. This does not play as major of a role as it used to, however, because most gang members today target those of their own race.

Many people have proposed ways to combat gang violence and crimes. Gangs used to just be an urban problem, but recently, gangs have spread to smaller towns and cities. Many states have increased the penalty for being convicted of a gang-related crime. Also, local initiatives have been stepped up. Many jurisdictions have pooled both federal and state funds in order to combat the gang crimes. Ordinances have been passed against activities such as cruising, loitering, and other behavior that might foster gang activity. Most initiatives have been shifted from just targeting gang individuals to targeting those conditions that help the gangs survive (i.e. forcing absentee landlords to close down suspected crack houses, prohibiting the display of firearms, etc.) In Los Angeles, the LA Task Force increased the number of FBI agents investigating gangs from 74 to around 100. Also, those convicted

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