The Brief
- Gang activity in NYC is at an all-time high, police say, with members getting younger – some barely in their teens.
- In New York City, there are four main nationally affiliated gangs: the Bloods, the Crips, Folk Nation and the Trinitarios.
- “You have to realize that about 65% of our shootings in New York City, historically, have a gang nexus,” John Chell said.
NEW YORK CITY – New York City is no stranger to gun violence and gangs in certain neighborhoods, but now police are finding them all over the city – and gang members are getting younger and younger.
Gang membership at an all-time high
What we know:
Once upon a time, gangs in New York were mostly found in low income, high crime areas, city jails like Rikers Island and state prisons. But now gang membership in New York City is at an all-time high, according to multiple law enforcement officials, and the age of many gang members is barely in the double digits.
A chart from Vanguard Crime Strategies LLC shows the overall structure of gang life in New York City. It looks organized, but it’s complex and even chaotic, with shifting alliances and even coalitions between former rivals called “opps.”…