National Youth Gang Survey

2008 National Youth Gang Survey
National Youth Gang Center
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
U.S. Department of Justice
OMB No: 1121-0224
Expiration Date: 8/2009

Agency:
Agency ID:

Your agency has been selected to furnish information for the 2008 National Youth Gang Survey. Your answers
statistically represent those of hundreds of other law enforcement agencies that will not be surveyed—so your
response is very important.

Four Ways to Respond:
Mail

Fax

Use the enclosed postage-paid envelope, or mail
the survey to:

(888) 323-7305 (toll-free)

National Youth Gang Center
Post Office Box 12729
Tallahassee, FL 32317-2729

Internet
♦ Go to http://www.iir.com/nygc.

Telephone
If you prefer to respond by telephone, you may do so
by contacting our telephone survey service center,
MGT of America, Inc., toll-free at (800) 326-9132,
extension 4374 or 4367. Please reference the 2008
National Youth Gang Survey.

♦ Click on the link titled 2008 National Youth
Gang S
urvey Participants. Under “Login,” type
NYGC S
urvey, and under “Agency ID,” type

♦ This password is unique to your agency, ensuring
confidentiality of survey responses. If you need
assistance with your password, please call toll-free
at (800) 446-0912, extension 296 or 274.

Survey Instructions
♦ Please report data for the calendar year 2008 (January 1 through December 31).
♦ For the purpose of this survey, a youth gang is defined as “a group of youths or young adults in your
jurisdiction that you or other responsible persons in your agency or community are willing to identify or
classify as a gang.” DO NOT include motorcycle gangs, hate or ideology groups, prison gangs, or other
exclusively adult gangs. Please base your responses on your records, your personal knowledge, and/or
consultations with other agency personnel who are familiar with youth gangs.
♦

The terms “youth” and “juvenile” are not synonymous. The term “youth” is more general than the term
“juvenile,” which is a legal designation statutorily defined within each state. Throughout this survey, the term
“youth gang” is used to capture information about gangs that is not restricted to juvenile-aged members, but
also may include young adults (see “youth gang” definition above).

♦ Police departments should report only for their cities/towns.
♦

Sheriffs’ departments should report only for their unincorporated service areas. Please exclude any
contracted jurisdictions.

Please respond by
February 27, 2009

Page 1 of 6

Agency Information
(please print clearly)

Law Enforcement Agency Name
Name of Jurisdiction(s) Served (city, town, or county)
Mailing Address
City

County

State

ZIP Code

First Name

Last Name

MI

Title/Rank
Unit or Section
Length of Time at Current Position: Years

Months

Telephone (with area code)
Fax (with area code)
E-mail

2008 National Youth Gang Survey Questions
1.

During 2008, were any youth gangs (as defined in the Survey Instructions) active
in the city, town, or county served by your agency?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Do not know

If you answered “No” or “Do not know” to Question 1—this completes
the survey. Please return the form by mail or fax.
If you answered “Yes” to Question 1—please continue.

Page 2 of 6

2.

How many youth gangs (as defined in the
Survey Instructions) were active in your
jurisdiction during 2008?

8.

Number of active youth gangs

3.

_ ____________ [ ] Do not know

Race/Ethnicity
of Gang Members

Percent OR Number

Regarding the number of gangs in your
jurisdiction:

American Indian or
Alaskan Native

________

_ ______

a. W
 hat is the typical membership size per gang?
_______

Asian

________

_ ______

Black or
African American

________

_ ______

Hispanic or Latino

________

_ ______

c. W
 hat is the approximate membership size of
the largest gang? _______

Native Hawaiian or
other Pacific Islander

________

_ ______

Regarding the number of gangs in your
jurisdiction, which of the following most
closely describes how this number is counted
in your jurisdiction (please check only one):

White

________

_ ______

Individuals who are
two or more races

________
=100%

_ ______

b. What is the approximate membership size of
the smallest gang? _______

4.

[]M
 ultiple sets and/or cliques of a larger gang
affiliation are counted as one gang (e.g.,
Rollin 40s Crips and Grape Street Crips =
one gang)
[]M
 ultiple sets and/or cliques of a larger gang
affiliation are counted as separate gangs
(e.g., Rollin 40s Crips and Grape Street
Crips = two gangs)
[]N
 either of these options applies to gangs in
my jurisdiction because none of them has
subgroups
5.

In approximately what year did gangs begin
to pose a problem in your jurisdiction?
Year__________ [ ] Do not know

6.

How many youth gang members were active
in your jurisdiction during 2008? An active
gang member is defined as someone who
was involved in gang activity with other gang
members during 2008.
Number of active youth gang members
_ ____________ [ ] Do not know

7.

Please estimate either the percentage or
the number of all youth gang members
reported in Question 6 who are:

Please estimate either the percentage or
the number of all youth gang members
reported in Question 6 who are:
Age of Gang Members

Percent OR Number

Under 15

________

_ ______

15 to 17

________

_ ______

18 to 24

________

_ ______

Over 24

________
=100%

_ ______

[ ] Do not know
9.

Many agencies use specific criteria to
designate or identify individuals as gang
members (not gang associates). Six of
these criteria are listed below. Please
order the following items (from 1 to 6) by
frequency of use in your agency.

1= Most frequently used criterion (on this list)
to identify gang membership.

6= Least frequently used criterion (on this list)
to identify gang membership.
______The individual has been designated
a gang member by another law
enforcement or criminal justice agency.
______The individual is identified as a gang
member by a reliable informant.
______The individual claims to be a gang
member in a custodial setting (e.g.,
booking, detention, confinement).
______The individual claims to be a gang
member in a noncustodial setting.
______The individual displays symbols of gang
membership such as items of clothing,
“colors,” tattoos, and/or hand signs.
______The individual is known to associate
with and/or has been arrested with
known gang members.

[ ] Do not know
Page 3 of 6

For the purposes of this survey, gang crime is defined as:
Member-Based—A crime in which a gang member(s) is either the perpetrator or the victim,
regardless of the motive, or
Motive-Based—A crime committed by a gang member(s) in which the underlying reason is to further
the interests and activities of the gang.
10. Please indicate the number of member-based homicides involving youth gang members that
occurred in your jurisdiction during 2008.
Number of gang member-based homicides
_ ____________ [ ] Do not know
11. Of the number reported in Question 10, please indicate the number of motive-based
homicides involving youth gang members that occurred in your jurisdiction during 2008.
(Note: This number should not be greater than that reported in Question 10.)
Number of gang motive-based homicides
_ ____________ [ ] Do not know
12. Please select a response concerning incidences of gang-related crime in your jurisdiction in 2008
compared with 2007 (please check a response for each item):
Example: Compared with 2007, incidences of gang-related robbery decreased in 2008.

Gang-Related Offenses

Decreased

Stayed About
the Same

Increased

No Incidences

Homicide

[]

[]

[]

[]

Robbery

[]

[]

[]

[]

Aggravated Assault

[]

[]

[]

[]

Burglary/Breaking and Entering

[]

[]

[]

[]

Motor Vehicle Theft

[]

[]

[]

[]

Larceny/Theft

[]

[]

[]

[]

Drug Sales

[]

[]

[]

[]

Firearms Use

[]

[]

[]

[]

13. On which of the gang-crime definitions described above are your responses to Question 12
primarily based?
[ ] Member-based
[ ] Motive-based
14. Has your municipality (not your state) enacted one or more anti-gang statute(s) in the past
five years?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Do not know
15. If you answered “Yes” to Question 14, what type of anti-gang statute(s) is it?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Page 4 of 6

16. Does your agency regularly receive information from other sources on the release of gang
members from confinement (e.g., prison, juvenile correctional facilities, residential camps,
other residential correctional facilities)?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Do not know
17. If you answered “Yes” to Question 16, please check below the sources from which you receive
information on the release of gang members from confinement (check all that apply):

_____Official notification from correction and/or probation officials

_____Informal notification from correction and/or probation officials

_____Informants

_____Other sources (please identify)___________________________________________________

[ ] Do not know

18. In 2008, did your jurisdiction experience the return of gang members from confinement?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Do not know
If “yes,” please continue.
If “no” or “do not know,” please skip to
Question 21 on the next page.
19. Please estimate the number of gang members who returned from confinement to your
jurisdiction in 2008.
Number of returning gang members_________
[ ] Do not know
20. Please estimate to what degree the following youth gang activities in your jurisdiction were
affected by gang members returning from confinement in 2008 (please check a response for
each item):
In 2008, gang members returning from confinement have:

Not At All Very Little Somewhat Very Much

Influenced local gang dress and demeanor

[]

[]

[]

[]

Increased local gang access to weapons

[]

[]

[]

[]

Increased drug trafficking by local gangs

[]

[]

[]

[]

Increased property crime by local gangs

[]

[]

[]

[]

Increased violent crime by local gangs

[]

[]

[]

[]

Page 5 of 6

21. Do you currently have immigrants
(persons born outside the United States)
in your jurisdiction who are youth gang
members?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No (All of the youth gang members
in my jurisdiction were born in
the United States.)
[ ] Do not know
If “yes,” please continue.
If “no” or “do not know,” please skip to
Question 26.
22. In approximately what year did gang
member immigrants (persons born
outside the United States) begin to pose a
problem in your jurisdiction?
Year___________ [ ] Do not know
23. How many gangs listed in Question 2
are composed primarily of immigrants
(persons born outside the United States)?

26. Does your agency routinely monitor social
networking Web sites (e.g., MySpace,
Facebook) as an investigative and/or
intelligence-related tool on youth gang
activities in your jurisdiction?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No

[ ] Do not know

27. If you answered “Yes” to Question 26,
how valuable has it been in combating
your local gang problem?
[
[
[
[

]
]
]
]

Not at all
Very little
Somewhat
Very much

28. Compared with 2007, was your youth
gang problem in 2008 (please check one):
[ ] Getting worse
[ ] Getting better
[ ] Staying about the same
[ ] Do not know

Number of immigrant youth gangs
_ ____________ [ ] Do not know
24. What single country has contributed
the most gang immigrants (persons
born outside the United States) in your
jurisdiction?
__________________ [ ] Do not know
25. What percentage of youth gang members
listed in Question 6 are immigrants
(persons born outside the United States)?
[ ] 1–25%

[ ] 51–75%

[ ] 26–50%

[ ] 76–100%

This completes the survey.
Thank you for your participation.
Please return the completed survey form by February 27, 2009, via mail or fax to:

National Youth Gang Center

Post Office Box 12729
Tallahassee, FL 32317-2729
Phone: (800) 446-0912 (toll-free)
Fax: (888) 323-7305 (toll-free)

Page 6 of 6