Crips And Gang Violence

Since the late 1960’s, the “Crips” have been synonymous with gang violence and crime. Despite being started as an organization utilized to defend itself and its’ neighborhood from other violent gangs, the “Crips” have evolved into a fierce organization that draws its’ standing from murder, drugs and a bountiful number of active members. It is a prime example of how an organization could allegedly start as something positive for a community and eventually devolve into one of the most feared criminal organizations on the West coast of the United States. In this examination of threats to the United States we will investigate the entirety of the “Crips” structure. The first section will outline the history of the organization with emphasis placed
Initially, the goal of the organization was the protection of claimed neighborhoods. This primary goals have not changed over the years as the group remains very territorial. As the gang has grown, so has their territory. Infringement on these territories by other gangs has brought about spikes in gang violence since the early 90’s. The organization is also concerned with financial gain. This is done through a number or illegal activities that include drug sales, intimidation, robbery, murder and extortion. Drug proceeds are known to be laundered through legitimate means such as real estate purchases, music stores and live musical promotions and
This, as the name implies, involves driving past an enemy location and discharging firearms in a rapid manner with the intent of harming or killing their enemy. The drive-by is commonly associated with gangs and appears to be the tactic of choice in gang violence. Simply going to a news website and typing in “Drive-by shooting” is enough to fill your search query with results. (Chicago Tribune) Drive by shootings are typically done with some form of semi or fully automatic weapon. Recently, an LA Times article posited that drive by shootings are giving way to “walk ups” as the preferred method of dispensing violence. (Santa Cruz) The change in tactic has been related to a change in how these gangs do business. According to the article, nobody wants to be involved with business dealings that invite such violence. It’s become a matter of survival, the most important instinct a group can