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The Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago

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procedures that have often been an effective means to control gang behaviors, particularlyviolence and a range of nuisance behaviors. Focus has been on protect<strong>in</strong>g citizens (sometimes<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g gang youth themselves) from a series of violent encounters, while punish<strong>in</strong>g youthwho commit or are suspected of committ<strong>in</strong>g such behaviors.However, low priority is given to communication, understand<strong>in</strong>g, or prevention of thecomplex factors which <strong>in</strong>duce youth to jo<strong>in</strong> gangs and participate <strong>in</strong> gang behavior. <strong>Gang</strong>-unitofficers focus s<strong>in</strong>gle-m<strong>in</strong>dedly on gang activities such as street loiter<strong>in</strong>g, graffiti, disorderlyconduct, fight<strong>in</strong>g, drug possession and sale. <strong>The</strong>y aggressively stop and search gang youth (andsometimes non-gang youth) on street corners, <strong>in</strong> cars, school yards, parks, beaches, randomlysweep them <strong>in</strong>to paddy wagons and detention facilities, charg<strong>in</strong>g them with a range of offenseswhich are often dismissed at court arraignment.Such procedures may result <strong>in</strong>advertently or deliberately <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>creased hostility to thepolice, stronger commitment by youth to the gang, and an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> law-violat<strong>in</strong>g behavior.<strong>Gang</strong> police tend to sweep up oppos<strong>in</strong>g gang members <strong>in</strong> the same paddy wagons, creat<strong>in</strong>ganimosity and further rationale for attack<strong>in</strong>g members of oppos<strong>in</strong>g gangs. Charges for loiter<strong>in</strong>gand m<strong>in</strong>or offenses are quickly dismissed <strong>in</strong> court. <strong>Gang</strong> youth develop reputations for “beat<strong>in</strong>gthe rap.” <strong>Gang</strong> police have been known to deliberately drop off youth from one gang <strong>in</strong>oppos<strong>in</strong>g gang territories (and then watch<strong>in</strong>g or arrest<strong>in</strong>g gang youth for the fights that ensue); tomark out gang graffiti and replace it with other gang mark<strong>in</strong>gs; and <strong>in</strong>frequently to engage <strong>in</strong> avariety of illegal practices, sometimes <strong>in</strong> collaboration with gang youth, e.g., protect<strong>in</strong>g orencourag<strong>in</strong>g drug deals.City ord<strong>in</strong>ances and state laws have widened the range of punishable behaviors by gang1.19

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