"Chicagoland Gangs" originates from a Chicago Crime Commission pamphlet handed out in August 1996 at a community meeting in Chicago's Humbolt Park neighborhood.

Other than the presentation and hypertext treatment of this feature, no content has been changed from the original document. The graphics for the hand signs were re-illustrated (many thanks to Tony Pontarelli) because of the poor quality of the source material.

The Site of Big Shoulders cannot vouch for the accuracy of the content within "Chicagoland Gangs" -- some of the information contained in this feature is incorrect or outdated. However, we find this to be a fascinating document that provides a wide-ranging and useful look at gangs in the Chicagoland area.

Gang incidents are a commonplace element of urban life. We read about them in the newspapers. We see them on television news. We are numbed by the statistics. Ultimately, complacency sets in. It is no longer shocking for a child or grandparent to become a statistic as a result of another senseless drive-by shooting. No one is surprised when an aspiring student or athlete falls prey to gang gunfire and retribution in cases of mistaken identity. At some point in time we are all directly or indirectly affected by gang power and violence. Law-abiding citizens are forced to travel alternate routes, or at a time of day they deem safe, in order to avoid gang-infested areas. Children refrain from buying athletic wear bearing the logo of their favorite sports team for fear a gang member will mistake them for a rival and shoot them down. When we hesitate to get involved, our children become victims.

Gangs flourish and attain influence and presence when they are allowed to conduct their illegal activities without police intervention or surveillance. Organized gangs maintain a low profile in high-profit drug areas. High profile only serves to attract more law enforcement. Police experts agree that to effectively control gang domination, the top leaders must be targeted. The combined forces of federal, state and local gang crime specialists focus on the upper level gang leaders, and the uniformed and tactical patrol officers monitor the lower level street activity.

Gang activity continues unchecked in certain locales, because police remain uninformed by the local citizenry of an emerging problem. The most effective way for communities to combat gangs is to adopt an attitude of zero-tolerance. Communities must become involved in order to control and eliminate the gang problem. This involvement runs the gamut from neighborhood watch programs to placing an anonymous call to report crime. Repeated graffiti removal sends a message to the gangs that they are not part of the community. High profile community involvement, combined with police intervention on a local and national level, slows and deters gang crime activities. Eventually their power will be broken - as we have witnessed in the last few years with the slow disintegration of the El Rukns gang.

The Chicago Crime Commission stands ready to provide support to neighborhood organizations that are committed to action.