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National Youth Gang Survey Analysis

Gang Units

Respondents provided information regarding operation of a gang unit in their agency.

Gang unit is defined in the survey as “a specialized unit with at least two officers primarily assigned to handle matters related to youth gangs.”

  • Approximately 1 in 4 law enforcement agencies with a gang problem operated a gang unit in 2004, including 51 percent of larger cities.
  • Across all area types, the percentage of agencies operating gang units was highest in 2000.
  • Across all area types, agencies with long-standing gang problems and/or higher numbers of documented gang members are more likely to report operating a gang unit in 2004.
  • In 2004, 31 percent of law enforcement agencies with a gang problem that did not operate a gang unit reported that one or more officers were assigned to handle gang problems exclusively.

The bar chart is entitled “Gang Unit.” Displayed horizontally are the four area types—larger cities, suburban counties, smaller cities, and rural counties—and displayed vertically are percentages from 0 to 70. The categories “2000”, “2003”, and “2004” are presented as the data points. The heading entitled “Gang Units” includes bullet points which describe this bar chart.

Analysis for this section pertains only to law enforcement agencies reporting gang problems. Please see the Prevalence of Youth Gang Problems section.

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Suggested citation: National Youth Gang Center (2007). National Youth Gang Survey Analysis. Retrieved [date] from http://www.iir.com/nygc/nygsa/