| Gangs in the Military:
How much do we know? |
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For several years, there have been allegations among law-enforcement officials and in the media of a strong presence of street gangs within the U.S. military. Military officials acknowledge that gang members can be found in the services, particularly the Army, but insist that gang membership does not pose a serious problem.
Stars and Stripes set out to explore the issue. Reporters interviewed dozens of military officers, police officials, military and civilian investigators, former gang members and ordinary servicemembers. This is what they found: |
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| Reports show increase in gang-related crimes |
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Gang activity in the military is increasing, and the number of
gang-related crimes involving soldiers and their families nearly tripled from
fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2006, according to a pair of new reports.
Both studies note that gang members represent only a small fraction of the
total force, but say that gangs have become a bigger presence — and a bigger
concern — in just the last few years.
“Gang-related activity in the military is increasing and poses a threat to
law enforcement officials and national security,” according to the FBI’s
National Gang Intelligence Center report, released in January.
Read More |
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Reports (PDF)
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| PowerPoint presentation educates leaders about gangs |
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A 1st Armored Division soldier in Germany flashing a gang sign while on guard
duty.
Gangster Disciples graffiti scrawled near the helipad on Leighton Barracks in
Würzburg, Germany.
Wine glasses decorated with Gangster Disciples symbols that soldiers had made
at a German-American festival.
The pictures are in a 2006 PowerPoint presentation on criminal street gangs
in the military by Kenneth Ferguson Kelly, a former military police investigator
in Germany. Stars and Stripes obtained a copy of the presentation.
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PowerPoint
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| Officials: DOD monitoring gangs |
Military officials say they are carefully monitoring gang
activity in the services and don’t see any signs of an upswing of gang members
among the ranks.
Officials are aware of law enforcement reports and an Army Criminal
Investigation Command report distributed late last year showing that
gang-related incidents among soldiers nearly tripled from fiscal 2005 to fiscal
2006. |
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