Ways of dealing with street gangs?

[virtuoso]

Watching the doc about MS13 really shocked me in terms of both their bloodedness, the scale in orders of magnitude and man power.
Then I see across Europe there are various gangs of African, Turkish, Russian, Albanian etc and it led me into wondering just what can you do.

As far as I am concerned when you join these gangs you are beyond redemption and the initiations alone, for the most part are sickening.

Therefore I thought I would give a suggestion and see what it sparks from there, so what I would do given the legal authority to do so, would be to impose a sentence of 5 times greater than the average sentence handed out for a violent crime (for any gang member found guilty of such a crime)

I would offset that by releasing many prisoners who have been locked up for non violent crime.
Then we would see what an honour it is "earning your stripes" when the average psychopath gets a bid of 15-20 years in jail.

I have heard and read various viewpoints before including how full legalisation of drugs will diminish the power of these gangs. However I disagree entirely, as that will lead them instead into upping the ante and instead focus on bigger projects like kidnappings.

That is not to say that I don't advocate some changes in the law to address the bullshit war on drugs but that is a side issue.

Anyways, what say you?

[Hack Wilson - real]

Remember what Jimmy and Timmy did on Southpark when they united the Crips and Bloods?  Just do that.

[Fraxxx]

Remember what Jimmy and Timmy did on Southpark when they united the Crips and Bloods?  Just do that.

I mean, come on!

[virtuoso]

i haven't seen that episode, will check it out

[J. B A N A N A S]

Major changes in policing problem areas, certain blocks, neighborhoods etc...

Start issuing PTA's for small crimes like loitering and open containers. Give the k9's a bigger presence and work foot patrols. Demolish vacant buildings, erect new street lights, etc...This stuff worked in New York City at the height of it's crime and gang problems.

[M Dogg™]

The only way to truly get rid of these gangs is to infiltrate them. Unlike other street gangs, Bloods, Crips, even local street gangs associated with the Mexican Mafia, the real power is not on a street level but on a much higher level. The Mexican Mafia it's self maybe on a down turn, but the power structure is in the prisons and as long as they know how to power the streets without being on the streets then you have a real problem.

MS-13 is a bit different, it's a El Salvadorian gang that pushes drugs. Even if you legalize drugs, they will fight to the death in order to still run the market. The best approach is to get people inside, the same way the cartels are in the Mexican government, and then bring it down from the top. Twenty years ago you could have took down MS-13 the same way as all other gangs. After all, many street gangs come and go. There is not one Crip gang or Blood gang, just when one goes down another comes up. I'd argue that there is a different way to handle street gangs too, but that's a whole other post. MS-13 is way more than a street gang. The best way to do it is to get intelligence in there and then end the gang just as violently as they are. I'm not even going to say put them all in prison, the Mexican Mafia proved that you can still run a gang in prison when the Don is on 23 hour solitude. You are not going to win a straight up war, Mexico is finding that out as MS 13 is very good at killing people and turning the people against the government. So the best way it to go in and hit them from the inside out.

What's funny is MS 13 is more powerful than the Mexican Mafia ever hoped to be, and MS 13 is part of the Mexican Mafia. But they are not the same. People get them confused as the same thing. Still, El Eme is on the brink of nonexistence and if that is possible then holding off MS-13 is possible. It just takes other nations hitting them as hard as the US hit El Eme.

Surely one of the reasons why the gangs can run so effectively though is because their psychopathic foot soldiers are out there carrying out their orders. At least if you can convict them for any kind of violence at a greatly enhanced prison sentence, you will start to reduce their numbers?. Perhaps move away from just violent crime and impose much much greater prison sentences on them for any kind of crime?. I used to be naïve to think that it was the government run drug programme which empowered these gangs but no, these gangs exist regardless and they are hardcore psychopaths.