Reducing Frictional Gang Violence

8/3/2019 Reducing Frictional Gang Violence

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Addressing the Issue of Frictional Gang Violence (Saving one life at a time)

Introduction

This short essay seeks to assist those involved in policing, social work, community development, and other related fields to better address the issue of frictional gang violence. Here frictional gang violence as different from structural or

cyclical gang violence is defined to mean violence involving or between urban gangs which comes as a result of interaction. If one should use the nuclear family as an example, a in a dysfunctional family , where one finds substance addiction, cheating or etc, structural violence could be reasonably expected; however in a stable nuclear family an argument over who should was the plates or who should take out the garbage could result in frictional domestic violence on the other hand cyclical domestic violence could occur periodical, for example during orbefore the Christmas holidays, on the arrival of the utility bills etc. Equallyso frictional gang violence here is taken to mean violence occurring between orinvolving gangs as a result of particular types of interaction.

It is hoped that this paper will go some distance in towards the saving the live

s of even a few inner city youths and preventing the wounding of others.

The Genesis of Urban Gangs

Urban gangs in Jamaica and in many inner city communities across the world havetheir origin in groups of youths coming together forging mutual friendships, seeking common diversions and to solve common problems. These informal groupings donot become gangs until they are forced by environmental factors to seek or to protect the ratings and or status of individual members or the group as a whole inthe wider environment. In other words, urban gangs are institutions formed to protect and or to promote the respect of individuals within a previously loosely formed common interest grouping of youth. Here one could point out that urban gangs come into being as a result of particular types of interactions with the wide

r community.

While urban gangs have been associated with the trafficking and the pushing of drugs, drugs here are an instrument used by the gangs to further their quest for respect and ratings. It allows the individual members of the gang to acquire status symbols which are unaffordable to others and allow the members of one drug pushing gang to stand on equal ground with another drug pushing gang. Here the status equilibrium is achieved and respect is maintained. Thus the primary motive ofthe economic activities of most urban gangs is not profit, but rather the acquisition of status and respect. Equally, a self respecting gang member will participate in football or basketball only to the extent that his status and respect can be reaffirmed. If there is any chance of his loosing status or respect as a r

esult of inability to out play others or at least equal the skills of the best on the field, he will avoid participating in that game.

The Institutional Map of The Gang Environment

Urban gangs tend to be formed in communities which are unable to provide institutional structures which would allow the younger members of the community to achieve self identification and respect. For example, the average inner city community at best has only two or three institutions offering self identification and respect building activities, namely the Church, the local workshop (garage) and the local football or basket ball group. Thus if for example, a youth has an interest in playing music, or playing cricket, or becoming good at mathematics, theinner-city community is the wrong place to be. Therefore for the youths who are

unable to do good at football, who do not want to become mechanics or have no interest in the Church, they are relegated to either TV./ video watching and otheractivities which do not contribute to the development of their self-worth or re


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spect among their peers.

The formation of community gangs allow for these marginalized outsiders to participate in those activities which give its members respect. These activities might mean taking away the cell phone of the most rated basket ball or foot ball player.Here ratings and respect are transferred from the rated basket ball player or football player. Thus the robbing of the cell phone becomes a respect and ratings e

arning activity, the phone maybe sold cheaply or given away later, but the respect and ratings earned are cherished and protected.

Violence between gangs, murder, stabbings and even the shooting at police become respect and rating earning activities. Indeed the shooting up of a police car,or forcing the police to retreat under fire, are activities which earn a lot ofratings and respect. Thus if a gang member kills a rated police crime fighter , the ratings of that rated and respected police crime fighter is transferred to thegang member. However, the converse is also true. If a police officer should kill in a shoot out, here note shoot out a rated and respected gang member, the respect of the gang member in the eyes of the wider community is transferred to the police officer. Yet, the rated and respected gang member will be remembered with

honour as a result of his brave deeds.

Gang Activities Reducing Frictional Violence

Respect and ratings however are not necessarily earned by violence alone, respect and ratings can be bought. A gang member who is not talented in the area of violence, but who is talented in the area of entrepreneurial activities, for example in the are of finding cheaper sources of drugs, finding ways to open new income earning ventures for the gang members, finding new sources of weapons, finding ways to get travel documents etc, can also earn respect and ratings and even take control of the entire gang itself.

The activities of the entrepreneurial gang members tend to cut across the dividi

ng lines between gangs, reducing rivalry and creating areas of influence and hence reducing frictional violence between gangs.

Entrepreneurial gang members also further reduce violence in the wider communityby becoming founders of new institutions and activities, for example a gang member might sponsor a six-a-side football competition, a corner league, organize regular dances and parties, organize dance contests, DJ competitions and other activities which allow other community members to earn ratings and respect withoutresorting to violence.One should note however, that entrepreneurial gang members transforms frictional gang violence into structural gang violence, which erodes the role of the state and civil institutions in given communities and areas, violence which previously was directed against rival gangs, become directed against the wider communitywhich the gang seeks to control.

Reducing Frictional Violence at the Community Level

Social intervention by various state agencies into the inner city, with the aimof reducing violence and promoting peace, tend be limited in their impact; firstly these activities ignore the ratings and respect nature of gang violence. Reprisal shootings are seen as revenge shootings, rather than an activity to reclaim ratings and respect. You shot up my house; well I will shoot up your house, the house of your mother and your grandmother and even your great grandmother if I catch her. In such an activity, revenge is a secondary objective. Drive by shooting

s is seen as a war for turf or areas of influence, rather than activity to earnratings and respect or to reclaim earnings and respect. Turf warfare is a component of the economic activities of gangs, which in turn have everything to do wit


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h the ratings and respect of the individual gangs and their members. More respect and ratings are earned from having the ability to hold off the police in a twenty four hours shoot out than to shoot a single police officer.

Competition with the police is to show who fires the bigger guns and who can fire the most shots. In the early eighties in Arnett Gardens there was a flare up between the police and the community, the community won, because individual polic

e men were seen running towards Cross Roads crying, not because a single one was shot. A JDF armored car was parked on the Tony Spualding Sports complex and the soldiers got out and walked around a bit, they were getting ratings and respect for what they were driving and the young men in the community were planning toget ratings and respect by driving away the armored car, they were however timely discouraged by the Community Dons from carrying out such a venture. It was good enough to take on the police force and win, but to take on the army was seenas a no, no, because soldiers were and are not seen as traditional rivals (the police care traditional rivals) and soldiers were seen as more rootsish and ire.

Social intervention and community policing could be made more effective, if thefollowing actions were carried out:-

1. The identification of the number of potential rating earnings activitiesin the community, e.g. regular football competitions, regular basket ball competitions, regular dance competitions, regular domino competitions, music and painting classes, chess and draught competitions, etc.2. The carrying out of a survey of talents and interests, especially amongthe unattached segment of the youth population.3. A count of the number of pre-gang and gang formations in the community.4. The matching of the results of survey of talents and interests against the mapping of the potential rating earning activities in the community.5. Taking action to address areas of conflicts between results of survey oftalents and interests against the mapping of the potential rating earning activities in the community, action here might mean the creation of new potential rat

ings earning activities.6. The aggressive marketing of the identified and or created potential rating earning activities, with a programme to Big Up the winners and participants. Inshort, if Gully Bank Riders won the quarterly domino competition, the world must know, and the pictures of the team members appearing on the supermarket noticeboards, the schools in the area, at the local Churches and all around. The sameoccur when the Collie Posse wins the quarterly draught competitions.7. The song Every man to a thing should become Every man to an activity, in thetargeted community.

The above activities if taken would significantly increase the number and intensity of competitions between the various groups of youth in a controlled /managedenvironment while significantly reducing the number of isolated youths in the community, with a need to find channels to earn ratings and respect.

Reducing Frictional Gang violence

Reducing frictional gang violence is here assumed to be nearly impossible with the removal or demotion of the leading gang members. While entrepreneurial gang members can contribute to a reduction in frictional inter gang violence, one mustnever loss sight of the fact that gangs as institutions exist to protect and promote the ratings and respect of its members at the expense of the wider community. While violence between gangs might reduce under the direction of entrepreneurial gang members, violence against the wider community could increase; in short

there is a trade off in the individuals targeted for violence. Secondly the entrepreneurial gang members, forms the friendly benign mask of the gang, thus giving it the appearance of being community friendly and peaceful.


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Reducing frictional gang violence is another name for the reduction and or elimination of gang activities within the community, which first call for the physical removal and or demotion of the leading gang members within the community. Secondly it means helping junior gang members and their families to mentally adjustto a lowering of their standards of living, in those cases where gang activitiesalso brought in an income. Thirdly it means directing these junior gang members

to other socially acceptable ratings and respect earning activities in the community.

Here it is important that charges against the junior, where they have to be madehave to be skillfully done, for example its better charge a person in such a way that a fine is payable instead of seeking custodial sentences. The inability to pay a fine is a potential way of demoting a junior gang member. Going to prison is a rating and respect earning activity and for many means a promotion afterthe term is finished. I can remember a corner of about twenty none gang membersnightly speaking in expectation of the return of a Corner Don from prison. He wasgiven a heroes welcome on his return and got several new girl friends:- ratingsand respect were earned. It is also important to remove from the community, thos

e members of the police force, from whom high ratings and respect can be transferred; in short the prolonged presence of a known crime fighter in the community could stimulate or provoke ratings and respect earning activities from among the junior gang members.

Survey of Youth Population

Status Table

Name of Street:- Date:- Name of Community:-Boys number % of total Girls number % of totalNumber of boys of ages12 and under Number of girls of ages

12 and underNumber of boys of ages13 to 16 years Number of girls of ages13 to 16 yearsNumber of boys of ages17 to 24 years Number of girls of ages17 to 24 yearsNumber of boysattending Primary School Number of girlsattending Primary SchoolNumber of boys attendingHigh Schools Number of girls attendingHigh SchoolsNumber of boys attendingcollege or university Number of girls attendingcollege or universityNumber of boys employed Number of girls employedNumber of boys unemployed Number of girls unemployedNumber of boys on primary schooltrack and field team Number of girls on primary schooltrack and field teamNumber of boys on primary schoolFootball team Number of girls on primary schoolFootball teamNumber of boys on primary school

cricket team Number of girls on primary schoolcricket teamNumber of boys on primary school


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Swimming team Number of girls on primary schoolSwimming teamNumber of boys on primary schoolChess or draught team Number of girls on primary schoolChess or draught teamNumber of boys on primary schooltable tennis team Number of boys on primary school

table tennis teamNumber of boys on primary schoolsinging choir Number of girls on primary schoolsinging choirNumber of primary school boys with averages inmathematics and English of 60% or more for last term examinationNumber of primary school girls with averages inmathematics and English of 60% or more for last term examinationNumber of primary school boys attending Church Number of primary school girls attending ChurchNumber of primary school boys who are class captains or perfectsNumber of primary school girls who are class captains or perfects

Number of primary school boys who are scouts or members of the Boys BrigadeNumber of primary school girls who are Girls Guides or members of the Red CrossNumber of boys on high schooltrack and field team Number of girls on high schooltrack and field teamNumber of boys on high schoolFootball team Number of girls on high schoolFootball teamNumber of boys on high schoolcricket team Number of girls on high schoolnetball teamNumber of boys on high schoolSwimming team Number of girls on high school

Swimming teamNumber of boys on high schoolChess or draught team Number of girls on high schoolChess or draught teamNumber of boys on high schooltable tennis team Number of girls on high schooltable tennis teamNumber of boys on high schoolsinging choir Number of girls on high schoolsinging choirNumber of high school boys with averages inmathematics and English of 60% or more for last term examinationNumber of high school girls with averages inmathematics and English of 60% or more for last term examinationNumber of high school boys who are members of a youth club.Number of high school girls who are members of a youth club.Number of high school boys attending Church Number of high school girls attending ChurchNumber of high school boys who are prefects Number of highschool girls who are prefectsNumber of high school boys who are members of clubs at schoolNumber of high school girls who are members of clubs at schoolNumber of high school boys who are cadets Number of high school girls who are cadetsNumber of unemployed boys who plays foot ball for a corner league team

Number of unemployed girls who plays netball for a corner league teamNumber of unemployed boys who play Major league footballNumber of unemployed girls who play major netball club.


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Number of unemployed boys who play cricket for the community.Number of unemployed girls who play table tennis for a community club.Number of unemployed boys who play cricket for a club Number of unemployed girls who play a musical instrumentNumber of unemployed boys who play corner league basketballNumber of unemployed girls who attend Church at least twice per monthNumber of unemployed boys who play basket ball for a club

Number of unemployed boys who play table tennis for a community club.Number of unemployed boys who play a musical instrumentNumber of unemployed boys who attend Church at least twice per monthNumber of unemployed boys who are members of a youth club

The above table gives an easy reading of the total size of the youth population,the size of each segment, the level of participation of each segment in formaleducation and its level of participation in non-violent ratings seeking activities. The table therefore could assist those involved in community policing, community development programmes and urban planning to have a preliminary indicationof the segment of the youth population which is greatest need of intervention. I

n many ways one is better able to level the play field in the race to reach theunengaged youth , between the gangs and pre-gangs on one hand and law abiding and law enforcement community on the other hand.

Interest Table, to be done for all age groupsBoys Number % of total Number % of totalNumber of boys of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in playing football. Number of unemployed girls who are members of a youth clubNumber of boys of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in track and field Number of girls of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in track and field.Number of girls of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in playing basket ball Number of girls of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in playing football.Number of boys of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in playing table tennis Number of girls of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in playing netballNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in playing a musical inst

rument Number of girls of ages13 to 16 years with an interest in playing table tennisNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in singing


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Number of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in playing a musical instrumentNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in playing chess or draughts Number of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interestin singingNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in going to ChurchNumber of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in playing chess or drau

ghtsNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in participating in YouthClubs Number of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interestin going to ChurchNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in swimmingNumber of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in participating in Youth ClubsNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in going on tours and excursions Number of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interestin swimmingNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in keeping pets and joining a pet care club Number of girls of ages 13 to 16 years w

ith an interest in going on tours and excursionsNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in playing volley ballNumber of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in keeping pets and joining a pet care clubNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in doing potteryNumber of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in playing volley ballNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in screen printingNumber of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in doing needle workNumber of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in Dancing and participating in dance competitions Number of girls of ages 13 to 16years with an interest in screen printing

Number of girls of ages 13 to 16 years with an interestin doing pottery

Number of boys of ages 13 to 16 years with an interest in Dancing and participating in dance competitions

A comparison of the Status Table and the Interest Table will give an idea of thegap between the interest of the respondents and their actual level of participation in those activities in which they have an interest. It is to be noted thatwhile youth employment actual reduces economic crimes, employment by itself doesnot give status on the streets. A person can be gainfully employed and still beseen as an Idiot, thus leaving the individual with an unmet status (ratings) need. One here notes that the status of Idiot is of an inferior quality to the statusof Pussy Hole, even a community Don with high ratings can be seen by some as beinga Pussy Hole, and however an Idiot is a person without status. The task here wouldbe to assist the individual to find an area in which he or she has an interest and is potential good at, then to encourage the individual to become an active participant in the activity.

As can be seen from the graph above, by increasing the selection of non-violentratings seeking activities, there should be a decrease in the selection by the individual of violent ratings seeking activities. However one must note that theratings one obtain from participation in non-violent ratings seeking activitiesmust be as big as or bigger than the ratings one obtain from participating in violent ratings seeking activities. It is because of this reason that the promotion of

participation and accomplishment in non-violent ratings seeking activities mustbe deliberately and widely promoted:-the world must know that John is on the football team and that John scored two goals, and Paul the big goal keeper saved s


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even goals. Everybody must know that, if not the opportunity cost of participating in violent rate seeking activities will remain attractive. There will be those who seek ratings in both worlds, however they will be an identifiable minoritywhich can be dealt with by the law and the community as a whole, there will also be not much sympathy for such an individual in the community, for the simple reason that he did not have to take the route of violence to gain ratings and things were going for him.

Jamaican type societies, however, need to resolve the image they intend to sendto the youth population, it is very difficult to convince the ratings seeking youth to keep within the law, while those with means and influence resolve their difference by contract killing, while those with influence are able to straddle the worlds of upright business people and drug traffickers at the same time, while those with means are the same breathe who are responsible for stealing of an entire beach of sand are calling for the arrest of used car thieves. Such occurrencesnot only make the job of containing and or reducing frictional and structural crime of gangs not only more difficult but reduce crime fighting to an arena of class warfare, where in criminal activities are permitted in one segment of the population but sanctioned in another segment of the population.

The second and equally important component of this exercise is the identification of the various organizations and pre-organizations (informal groupings) and their offerings. This is important, from the stand point, while it is critical toknow the actual interests of the youth population, its is also important to knowif there is the organizational structure in the community that would allow theindividual to satisfy his or her interests in participating in the given activities, it is all well and good to know that there are a number of youths in the community with an interest in participating in volley ball or basketball competitions, however there must be an organization or pre-organization with the serviceand capacity offering that would allow the participation in basketball or volleyball competitions. It is also important to know if where such enabling organizations do exist, if there are barriers to entry. For example, a Church might have

a choir and musical instruments; however can the average non-Church attending youth participate in choir practice or learning to play an instrument at the Church? Hence a survey of the organizations that exist in the community has to be carried out.

Survey of Community Organizations

Type ofOrganization Number Number of membersor active participants Number of active participantswith coachingexperience Number of activeparticipants whoare trained teachers Number of actives offered as identified in Interest Tables State of facilities and orequipmentChurchesYouth ClubsService ClubsFootball clubs/teamsCitizen AssociationNetball Clubs/teamsPre-organizations led by young menPre-organizations

Led by youngwomen


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The above table gives at first glance the organizational strength and capacity of the given community, and the extent to which guidance and direction from within the community is possible. Note must however be made here of the fact, that the number of Churches in the community and the size of their membership could bemisleading, for the simple reason that many Churches draw the bulk of their membership from outside the community and many of the participants in Church activities are also from outside the given community. To what extent it is feasible and

possible to convince the Churches in the community to broaden their community focused activities from membership drives campaigns to include wider youth focused activities is not easily determined. A better indicator of the strength of the community would be the size of the Citizen Association and the frequency of its meetings along with the size of the active youth clubs and pre-club formations. If one should assumed that community based Churches are willing and able to take on wider community-youth focused activities, then the table above could alsobe used also as a preliminary indicator for directing assistance in the form ofequipment and training.

Of particular importance here is the size and capacity of the youth clubs and pre-youth club formations within the community; these are in terms of membership a

nd focus are far closer to the youths who have a need for ratings and status, and thus are better able to meet their needs. If a community has an active youth club, but without an experienced coach, one could be easily inserted from outsidethe community, while a youth club member receive training to become a coach. The challenge one faces in assisting in the equipping of youth clubs, is the factthat one is faced with one hand, poor management and control of the equipment and on the other hand the giving of an individual the responsibility of taking care of the equipment is not only an exercise of giving responsibility and power for and over the usage of the equipment in question, but also the giving of ratingand status to the given individual relative to other individuals. Does one bestowon an individual without any ratings this honour with the hope that he or she loose the need to seek ratings in some other area or does one bestow this honouron an existing corner Don, with the hope that he will no longer have a need to d

efend and or expand his ratings and status in other less acceptable areas? Perhaps an approach based on individual responsibility and democratic oversight of and over the equipment would be the best path to take in such a situation.

Activity Survey (Table 1)

Type of Organization Number of Activitiesoffered Number of academicFocused activities Number ofArt/ musicFocused activities Number of sportsactivities offered Number of character buildingActivities (e.g. scouting) Number of nature and environmental awareness building activitiesChurchesYouth ClubsService ClubsFootball clubs/teamsCitizen AssociationPre-organizations led by young menNetball Clubs/teamsPre-organizationsLed by youngwomen

Table 1 above shows the type of activities offered by each organizational type.In terms of reducing frictional gang violence main focus would be placed on those organizations that offer the widest range of activities. To what extent can th


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e offering of the activity rich organizations can be strengthened through community marketing campaigns, through the training of coaches and through the provision of equipment; would be some of the questions that one would ask oneself. By matching this table against the survey of Community Organizations one would beginto get a better feel of where and how to deploy resources. Sight should never be lost of the fact that one is seeking to assist those organizations which can best compete with gangs and pre-gangs in the offering of ratings earning activiti

es. Against this background table 2, below becomes particularly useful in ensuring that resources used in social intervention to reduce frictional gang violenceactually does reach the target audience and is most effectively used.

(Table 2)

Activity Type Number of femaleParticipants of ages 13 to 16 years. Number of femaleparticipants of ages 17 to 24 years Number of unemployed female participantsNumber of maleparticipants of ages13 to 16 years Number of maleparticipants of ages17 to 24 years Number of unemployed male participantsacademicFocused activitiesArt/ musicFocused activitiessportsactivities offeredNumber of character buildingActivities (e.g. scouting)nature and environmental awareness building activities

Gangs are not ex-community entitiesWhile it is very tempting especially during periods of high levels of crime andviolence, to view gangs and pre-gangs as entities alien to the communities in which they exist, and thus they should with enough efforts, be able to be uprooted. This view is a very incorrect view, a view which seeks to ignore the fact thatgang formation is but one of the many responses made by communities in order toadapt to changes in the wider social environment at one level and to compensate

for institutional break down at the other level. The fruits of the labors of the entrepreneurial segments of the gangs benefit not only members of the gangs but also many families which would not have had an alternative source of income. T


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here are many testimonies of university students who have been helped financially along the way by gang members and Dons; equally there are many small businesspeople who can attest to the help they got in starting up their businesses fromgang members and Dons. Equally so, in those situations where the justice systemfails to respond to the legitimate needs of the community, gangs have been proven to be very efficient in dispensing justice.At the level of the individual youth, gangs do not only provide the opportuniti

es for recognition, but they also provide a sense of belonging and family, especially in the case of youths from dysfunctional families.Intervention can be effective in reducing the influence of gangs on the individual isolated youth if such intervention is able to create or open access to suitable alternative support systems.Survey of Youth In Need of Support (boys)age # of boys livingBy themselves # of boys living inabusive situations # of boys livingin dysfunctional families # of boys who areVictims of violence # of boys who feel threatened by violence13 to 16 years of age

17 to 24 years of age

Survey of Youth In Need of Support (girls)age # of girls livingBy themselves # of girls living inabusive situations # of girls livingin dysfunctional families # of girls who arevictims of violence # of girls who feel threatened by violence13 to 16 years of age17 to 24 years of age

An assessment of the two surveys recommended above, would give a strong indication of the number of young people who are in real need of support, and allows theintervening agencies to work with community organizations which maybe activitypoor to provide assistance in the area of support provision; it might be in thearea of the provision of warm means, it might be in the area of provision of sleeping hall, or it might be in the area of provision of protection from violence.These would be very meaningful steps in reducing the influence of gangs.

Conclusion:- The approach outlined in this document if implemented would betterenable the concerned agencies of the state and the wider community to take effective action in reducing frictional gang violence, firstly by recognizing the ratings and status earning/defending functions of urban gangs , and by secondly creating attractive alternative routes to the earning and protection of ratings andstatus. The approach assumes that the anti-gang activity of the police will bemaintained if not intensified, thus reducing the gangs ability to meet the needsof its members and sympathizers, while giving the service providing organizations in the community an added competitive advantage.

Basil Fletcher21st.October 2011

Is There a Natural Rhythm To Gang Violence?IntroductionGang violence on the surface seems to have a natural rhythm, with violence peaki

ng at particular periods during the year and declining in other periods. There also seems to be a level of correlation between particular events of a seasonal nature such as football matches, dances and etc. For agencies involved in communi


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ty development and for the police, reducing cyclical gang violence (gang violence which appears to have a natural rhythm) is no less important than reducing oreliminating frictional gang violence, in both cases lives and property are at stake. This essay seeks to encourage, by proposal, a deeper and more comprehensivelook at gang violence which appears to have a natural rhythm.

1. Using the content research method in studying reported crime in the main

daily newspapers reporting on the period between 1980 to 2010, to identify if there is a natural periodic rhythm to gang violence.2. Using the content research method in studying reported crime in the maindaily newspapers and by using official documents reporting on the period between 1980 to 2010, to identify if there is a relationship between the gang violence and the event density of a particular period (i.e. the number of events in a given period), with school holidays , with the number of persons released from prisons/ lock ups in the given period or the number of non-gang funerals for persons dying from natural or non-gang related violence.3. If there is a natural rhythm to gang violence what does it mean for thedeployment of community developmental and crime fighting resources?4. If there is a natural rhythm to gang violence could the rhythm be disrup

ted or modified?

Below are examples of how one could go about examining in detail, if there is arelationship between gang violence and given events. It is known for example that the level of crime in urban communities tend to trend up during the periods when schools are closed for holidays, e.g. summer holidays; what is not known however is if there is a relationship between gang violence and school holidays. Below for the purposes of comparison, three communities are selected, however, I would strongly recommend the usage of information from at least ten randomly selected communities which are know to suffer from gang violence.

Sample Table for Seaview Gardens (for period 1980 to 2010)

Month and Year Number of reported gangShooting/ killing Number of reportednon-gang killings Events densityof the month # of prison releases in the month School holiday period(yes=1, no=2) # number of non-gang member funerals reported in the newspapersfor the periodJanuary 1980February 1980March 1980April 1980May 1980June 1980July 1980August 1980September 1980October 1980November 1980December 1980

Sample Table For Mountain View Avenue (for period 1980 to 2010


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Month and Year Number of reported gangShooting/ killing Number of reportednon-gang killings Events densityof the month # of prison releases in the month School holiday period(yes=1, no=2) # number of non-gang member funerals reported in the newspapersfor the period

January 1980February 1980March 1980April 1980May 1980June 1980July 1980August 1980September 1980October 1980November 1980December 1980

Sample Table For Jones Town (for period 1980 to 2010Month and Year Number of reported gangShooting/ killing Number of reportednon-gang killings Events densityof the month # of prison releases in the month School holiday period(yes=1, no=2) # number of non-gang member funerals reported in the newspapers

for the periodJanuary 1980February 1980March 1980April 1980May 1980June 1980July 1980August 1980September 1980October 1980November 1980December 1980

A close examination by using correlation analysis of the finding in the above tables should show if there is any clear relationship between given events and thelevel of both gang and non-gang violence.

In order to gain a better understanding of the persons who commit acts of violence, the prison study is being proposed to gain the information needed for the table below. The method used would be based on the survey method, using a sample of 150 from the Tower Street Correctional facility, 150 from the St. Catherine District Prison, and fifteen percent of the population at the Gun Court facility.The table given below is a sample of what these tables would look like.


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St. Catherine District Prison

Type of violence Average age of the convict at the time when the crime was committed % with previous convictions % of convicts who attended froma traditional high school % of convicts who attended a technical high school % of convicts who attended a newly upgraded high schools % of convicts who attended an all age school % with incomplete secondary education% of convicts who attended a university or teachers college or

Technical college% which have been suspended at least once from high school % from homes which is characterized by domestic violence and abuse % with good relations with mother % with good relationship with father % from single parent households % of convictswho arefathersrapearmed robbery

buggerywounding

carnal abuse

shooting with intentattempted murdermurdermanslaughter

An analysis of the tables from the prison survey using standard statistical analysis, would give both law enforcement agencies and agencies involved in community development a better picture or profile of which individual is most likely tocommit what type of crime, and the relationship between educational attainment and the type of crime committed.

In order to gain a better understanding of the fit of the average violent convictin his home community, the research is being proposed in order to acquire information for the table below, using the same sample as was used above, however gaining the information from the targeted respondents rather than from the convict..


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Potential questionnaire for the determination of values at nodes in RelationshipTable below.Questions Values,Positive=1Negative =-1No response =0Is person is helpful most of the times?Is the person dependable?Can the person be depended on give good adviseor proposals?Is the person a positive influence on others?

Does the person respect the views and feelings of others?Can the person be trusted or believed?Is the person a team player?Is the person confident about himself?Will the person go out of his way to help others?Does the individual pays attention to his work or towhatever he is doing?Do others come to him for advice?Does the person have his own mind?Do you welcome this persons company or attention?Maximum possible value + 13

Relationship Table (for proposed values at nodes, see table above for a sample frame of 200 individual inmates)

Inmate Number, from 1 to about 400 Relationship withneighbors, positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withmother, positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship with father, positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withsiblings, positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withextended family, positive=1,negative=-1(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship with

old school,positive=1,negative=-1


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(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withlocal football team,positive=1, negative=-1(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withLocal youth club,positive=1, negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship tofemales with similar age,living in a radius of 100 yardsaround home, positive=1,negative=-1(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship with childrenliving in a radius of 100 yardsaround home, positive=1,negative=-1(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withlocal business community, positive=1,Negative =-1

(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withlocal religious community/church/es, positive=1,Negative =-1(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withlocal police, positive=1,Negative =-1,(maximum value=+ 13) Relationship withmales of similar age,living in a radius of 100 yardsaround home, positive=1,negative=-1(maximum value=+ 13)Inmate # 1

Inmate# 2Inmate #3Inmate#4Inmate#5The quality of the respective nodes (relationships) would also need to be measured. The proposed list of questions below could guide the both law enforcement agencies and agencies involved in community development to determine the data setneeded to measure that quality. The data once collected would be imputed into the adjusted Relationship Table below.

Possible Questions to Determine the Quality of the Nodes


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Question AnswerPositive response=1Negative response=-1No response=0(Maximum value = + 12)Are you willing and able to provide inmate with a job?Do you have any contacts who would be willing and able to provide the inmate wit

h a job?Are you willing and able to assist the inmate to meet some of his expenses?Do you have any contacts who would be willing and able to assist the inmate to meet some of hisexpenses?Are you willing and able to provide the inmate with the type of training he needs to get a job?Do you have any contacts who would be willing and able to provide the inmate with the type of training he needs to get a job?Are you willing and able to provide inmate with an alternative place to live?Do you have any contacts who would be willing and able to provide the inmate with an alternative place to live?

Are you willing and able to provide inmate with assistance in taking care of hischild or children while he goes job hunting or to work?Do you have any contacts who would be willing and able to provide the inmate with assistance in taking care of his child or children while he goes job hunting or to work?Are you willing and able to provide inmate and his child or children with at least one meal per day?Do you have any contacts who would be willing and able to provide the inmate andhis child or children with at least one meal per day?Are you willing and able to assist the inmate in any meaningful way to change his life style?Do you have any contacts who would be willing and able to assist the inmate in a

ny meaningful way to change his life style?

Relationship Table (for proposed values at nodes, see table above for a sample frame of 200 individual inmates)

Inmate Number, from 1 to about 400 Relationship withneighbors, positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withmother, positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship with father, positive=1,negative=-1


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(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withsiblings, positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withextended family, positive=1,

negative=-1(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withold school,positive=1,negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withlocal football team,positive=1, negative=-1(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withLocal youth club,positive=1, negative=-1

(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship tofemales with similar age,living in a radius of 100 yardsaround home, positive=1,negative=-1(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withlocal business community, positive=1,Negative =-1(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withlocal religious community/church/es, positive=1,Negative =-1(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withlocal police, positive=1,

Negative =-1,(maximum value=+ 12) Relationship withmales of similar age,living in a radius of 100 yardsaround home, positive=1,negative=-1(maximum value=+ 12)Inmate # 1Inmate# 2Inmate #3Inmate#4Inmate#5Additionally one could carry out a survey of an adequate sample of about 250 ofthe Polling Divisions in which the inmates normally resides in order to assess how these Polling Divisions differ from those Polling Divisions in the same or similar constituencies in which there is a low level of violent crime. One would need a sample of about 20o low violent Poling Division in order to develop an acceptable model Polling Division based on average figures. See table below:-

Potential survey questionnaire for the carrying out of Polling Division Analysis

QuestionsAnswers


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Number of persons living in Polling Division?Percentage of unemployment in the Polling Division?Total population of youth between 13 years and 25 years of age?Percentage of population of youths between 13 years and 25 yearsof age attending schools or colleges?Percentage of population of youths between 13 years and 17 years of age who areattending a traditional high school?

Percentage of population of youths between 13 years and 25 years who are eitherbaby mothers or baby fathers?Percentage of population of youths between 13 years and 25 yearsof age who are working or hustling their own money?Number of active corners during the week day?Number of active corners after 6.00 p.m. during the work week?Number of adult supervised after school activities for children ofages 12 to 17 years ?Percentage of population of youths between 13 years and 25 years who have spentat least two weeks in a police lock up or prison or children home?Number of Church based activities occurring in an average week?Percentage of adult population who are active Church members?

Number of Youth Club based activities occurring in the average week?Percentage of children of ages 12 to 17 years which participate in community based after school activities?Percentage of children of ages 12 to 17 years which participate in community based youth club or citizen association activities during the average week?Percentage of children of ages 12 to 17 years which attend Church?Number of football matches in the PD during the average week?Percentage of youths between 13 years and 25 years who are active members of youth clubs, dance clubs or other such community based organizations?Number of out of port outings or excursions organized in the Polling Division during the average year?Number of shops in the Polling Division?Number of rum bars in the Polling Division?

Number of football fields or playing area in the Polling Division?Number of basket ball court in the Polling Division?

The information gathered from the above exercises would not only allow for social mapping of the average or modal violent convict, but also could be usedfor some level of prediction of who will most likely without targeted intervention become involved in violent crime. It also gives an understanding of who ismost likely commit what type of violent crime. Most importantly from a crime fighting perspective, it reduces the need for using force and allows for the usageof non aggressive forms of intervention or the temporary removal of specificallypre-targeted individuals from the community, either by the police, parents, Church, Youth club or other such type of organization. The social mapping of troubled individuals could start from early high school ages with the participation and active involvement of the school. The data collected could also help the police, parents, Church, Youth Club or Social Workers to work with the inmate in re-engineering/re-structuring his social relationship in such a manner that better cater for both his needs as an individual and his developmental needs.

Equally as in the case of tackling frictional gang violence, the tackling of cyclical gang violence requires first and foremost a commitment to work with individuals at risk, if only because it is individuals who commit acts of violence, gang violence or non-gang violence. Too often are we lead to believe that the presence of a police vehicle at a given location will get rid of the problem of gangviolence. The truth be told, no society, regardless of how prosperous or develo

ped it is, can afford to put manned police vehicles at all inner city street corners, secondly it cost the society less to keep an individual out of prison thanto take care of him or her in prison. Most importantly the individuals most lik


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ely to commit acts of violence are those individuals most in need of help and orattention.

Basil Fletcher

A paper on the application of the Jane Jacobs approach to crime reduction will posted soon.

Documents

Reducing Frictional Gang Violence