GANG AWARENESS AND PREVENTION
Bergen County Prosecutor's Office

In Conjunction with the
Bergen CountyFreeholders
County Executive Dennis McNerney
Tomas J. Padilla (Chairman)

David L. Ganz | Elizabeth Calabrese
James M. Carroll | Bernadette P. McPherson
Julie O'Brien | Connie Wagner

WHAT IS A GANG?
 

The New Jersey Criminal Code (N.J.S.A. 2C:44-3h) defines a Street Gang as:

Three or more persons associated by common group name or identifying sign, symbol, tattoo or other physical markings,
style of dress, hand signs or other indicia and while engaged in gang related activity have committed a criminal offense.

•         There are approximately 2,300 gang members
under the age of 15 in the State of New Jersey.
Children as young as second and third grade have
known gang affiliations.  In fact, 46 percent of
gang-related incidents occur on school property.

•         Many communities in Bergen County have a gang
presence or gang activity.  There are many
different types of gangs.  As a parent, there are
things you can do to prevent your child from
joining a gang.

COMMON GANG IDENTIFIERS

Gang members use graffiti, tattoos and colors to

show their membership in a gang and to

communicate their gang affiliation to others.

Each gang has its own unique colors, graffiti and

signs.

•          COLORS: Wearing specific colors of clothing or
particular emblems or         .  Some gangs use a
particular sport's team clothing to represent their
gang.  They do so by picking a team that uses their
gang's color and wearing it in a specific manner.

•          Wearing specific colored bandannas or beads

•          HAND SIGNS: Gangs use hand signs to
communicate within the gang

•          GRAFFITI: Gang drawings or symbols on clothing,
school books, backpacks, walls or tattoos

Note: The wearing of specific colors or sports team insignia alone
should not be used as an indication of gang involvement.
 

WHY DO CHILDREN JOIN GANGS?

•          For security and protection

•          To belong to a group, to be with friends

•          Peer pressure

•          To gain respect and status

•          Low self esteem

•          Lack of family and/or community

•          Financial gain

•          Excitement

•          Media glorification

•          To gain attention

•          Other family members are gang affiliated

•          Lack of knowledge or opportunity


SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES:

Sites such as myspace.com are spots where individuals can have a personal and interactive webpage which demonstrates gang affiliation.  These sites include gang symbols, drawings, weapons and drug references. Once an individual puts any information on any of these sites, even if they try to delete it, it is still always retrievable.
 

WHAT ARE SIGNS OF POSSIBLE GANG INVOLVEMENT?

•          Admit to having gang involvement

•          Interest in specific colors of clothing or particular
emblems or logos.  Wearing clothing in a specific
way

•          Uses hand signs

•          Wears excessive jewelry with distinct designs and
may wear it only on the right or left side of the
body

•          Gang drawings or symbols on clothing, school
books, backpacks, walls or tattoos

•          Behavior changes such as a decline in academics,
school attendance, defiant, and staying out late
with no reason

•          New friends or calls from unknown people,
withdrawal from usual friends

•          Unexplained money or goods

•          Unexplained physical injuries such as being "beat
in" or injuries to the hands from fighting

•          Evidence of alcohol, drug use or weapons

•          Possessing photographs of themselves or their
friends displaying hand signs, money, drugs,
weapons or gang-like clothing

•          Obsessed with gangster influenced music, video,
and movie

•          Withdraws from family with a change in
demeanor and breaks parent's rules

•          An unusual secrecy or desire for privacy
 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT YOUR CHILD FROM JOINING A GANG OR IF YOU

 SUSPECT YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY INVOLVED IN A GANG?

•          Have open and frequent conversation with your child.  Talk about gangs and express your disapproval of
them.  Explain that you don't want them to get hurt, arrested or killed.

•          Take the time to get to know your child's friends, interests and what they are doing.  Peer pressure to
get involved in gangs usually comes from friends.  Listen to conversations your child has with their
friends or new acquaintances.

•          Put high values on education.

•          Get your child involved and encourage them to stay involved in supervised positive activities.

•          Use local police, schools, religious organizations and/or community programs for help.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS IN A GANG OR IF I BECOME AWARE OF GANG ACTIVITY?
Notify your local law enforcement agency or the Bergen County Gang Unit at 201-226-5700.   Ask to have someone speak with you and/or your child about gangs. There also may be community agencies or programs that can help.

On December 1, 2006, in response to the increase in gang activity and gang related crime in Bergen County, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office created the Bergen County Gang Task Force. The creation of the task force was in conjunction with the Office of the Bergen County Sheriff.   Each police department in Bergen County has designated a police officer(s) as a gang liaison task force member.  The purpose of the County Task Force is to more effectively and jointly combat the rising increase in gang membership, gang activity and gang crime throughout Bergen County.

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER;

Many young people are unaware of the dangers of gangs. 
Gang involvement can affect your future in a number of ways:

•          Bad or failing grades for missing school

•          Drug abuse

•          Criminal record

•          Imprisonment

•          Death

•          Harm to family members

Gangs primarily victimize each other, but ANYONE can be a victim of a gang-related crime.

HERE ARE SOME FACTS FOR YOU TO DISCUSS AND THINK ABOUT:

•         A gang will not protect you

•         You are far more likely to being injured or
killed if you are involved with a gang

•         Joining a gang will not increase the number of
friends you have.   It will increase the number
of enemies you have

•         Your gang will not be "like a family." Real
families don't force people to commit crimes
to get respect and love

•         You will not make a lot of money if you are in
a gang.   Most members make very little
money

•         If you are already in a gang, you can get out.
It might not be easy, but there is help for you

•         Gang colors are used to represent
membership and identify gangs.  Wearing
"colors" and pretending to be affiliated can
get you hurt or killed

•         Don't be fooled by gang "recruitment tactics:
Gang members will confront you in your
neighborhood, at your school and at social
gatherings to make you feel unsafe.
Members will lure you into joining them by
false promises of personal security, financial
opportunity and "family' support, love and
respect

•         Gangs use extreme forms of intimidation:   a
member will threaten you with violence and
harm to get you to join.  They might threaten
to harm your family and friends if you don't
cooperate


 

THE CHOICE IS YOURS.    BE SMART AND BE SAFE
For more information:  Bergen County Prosecutor's Office
www.bcpo.net Bergen County Gang Task Force, 
201-226-5700