Gaining Against the Gangs

The causes of crime are complex, a tapestry that includes demographics, the economy and individual character. Criminologists say the usual pattern is that the smaller the number of men in their late teens and early 20s, the lower the crime rate. Also, the higher the unemployment rate, the greater the crime rate.

Intact homes with parents keeping an eye on their kids and encouraging them to follow the straight and narrow help steer children in the right direction. Police say tough prosecution gets criminals off the streets and deters potential felons from lives of crime.

Whatever the reasons, the latest report on gang crime by the Orange County district attorney’s office is good news.

Gang-related homicides last year totaled 16. That’s a decrease of 50% in the past two years alone and fewer than one-quarter the 72 killings in 1994. The drop in gang-related homicides has coincided with a decrease in the number of gangs and gang members in the county, although the estimated membership from the D.A.’s office, 18,000, still is high.

The late 1990s were good years economically, with jobs readily available, removing the excuse of robbery to put bread on the table. And the number of Americans in their late teens and early 20s dropped, reducing the ranks of men in the prime crime-committing years. Another important reason for the decrease in gang killings in Orange County was stepped-up law enforcement and better coordination among agencies.

In 1992 the Westminster Police Department, the district attorney’s office and the county Probation Department formed TARGET teams, a unified crackdown on gang members whose activities helped lead county residents to label crime their greatest concern.

The program grouped detectives, a prosecutor, probation officer and investigator in one location to ensure follow-through when a gang member was arrested on criminal charges. The program was soon expanded to Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Orange, Santa Ana and South County jurisdictions of the Sheriff’s Department. Later teams were added in Tustin and North County.

The pooling of resources allows police to spot gang members early and receive help in investigating suspected crimes. If the evidence warrants prosecution, a deputy district attorney who is up to speed on the crime and the defendant shepherds the case through the courts. When a gang member is paroled, the Probation Department ensures that the conditions of release are met and that the gangster does not associate with other gang members.

In addition, four years ago the Probation Department began opening youth and family resource centers to concentrate on the 8% of youths research determined were most likely to become repeat offenders. Those at risk often are from dysfunctional families, have abused drugs and have failed in school. The centers can be valuable in keeping youngsters from reentering the criminal justice system.

Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas did sound a proper cautionary note in his report. He noted that the state Department of Justice report on all crime in 2000, not just gang offenses, showed violent crime decreasing by almost 6% overall in Orange County, but there were increases in Garden Grove, Irvine and Santa Ana. Another troubling statistic was the increase in homicide in Santa Ana for the first time in seven years.

Another flag was raised in a footnote in Rackauckas’ report saying that in the last five years, changes in the methods of collecting data have made some statistical comparisons difficult. Sometimes different gatherers of data emphasize different programs; sometimes data is reported at different times. But reporting techniques and periods covered should be standardized in an age of computers and professional law enforcement. That should not be difficult and would allow residents to monitor more closely the performance of public safety agencies. It also would help police receive a more accurate and timely picture of crimes, allowing better deployment of resources.