For the most part, Criminal Gangs and Drug-Related Crimes go hand in hand. One cannot investigate one without investigating the other. There is a lot of resources to review and videos to watch in the Module that will help you understand the main gang threats in the US. The objective of this assignment is to explore the relationship between drug-related crimes and gangs.
Your task for this assignment is to create a gang profile of a notorious gang of your choice. Select a Street Gang, Prison Gang, or Outlaw Motorcycle Gang that you would like to study. To help you get started, here is a recent list of the existing gangs in Massachusetts Gangs in MassachusettsLinks to an external site. . (Your selection is not limited to Massachusetts, so feel free to pick another gang that operates within the United States.) Once you have selected your gang, quickly review and then define what constitutes drug-related crimes.
Now for this assignment, I want you develop a gang profile similar to this one: Gangster Disciples. Do a full work-up of your gang (like an investigator would do). Create a table of organization ( Smart Art in Word, Google Docs, or even PowerPoint if you wish). Find and document pictures of their logos, symbols, patches, and other identifiers. Gather information about their illegal and legal (partially legal) businesses and explain their criminal activities with a particular focus on drug distribution, manufacturing, and trafficking. Discuss their suspected law enforcement and criminal connections. Make a list of supporters outside the gang and compile a list of crimes that your gang is or has an alleged involvement in. Conduct another search of any recent cases for which your gang has been charged in or found guilty of in the past 3 years. Identify their primary source of income.
This is a big project so plan accordingly. Be creative and thorough. There is a lot of available information out there, so read and research.
When you think that you have a full understanding of your gang’s organizational network, put it all together in a formal report. Include a title page and reference page with your profile and upload into Canvas.
