Latino gangs hyped by news media

There is no international network of Latino gangs involved in drug trafficking or other types of crimes according to research presented by the Washington Office on Latin America last Friday, February 9, at the Johns Hopkins University on Massachusetts Ave. The research was conducted by the Center for Inter-American Studies and Programs at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). At the presentation, titled “Youth gangs in Central America, Mexico and Washington, DC: A Transnational Examination,” researchers said that youth gangs are a serious community problem in the US and in Latin America, but the idea of an international cartel dealing in drugs, death and arms is more a figment of the imagination of newspaper and television reporters than a reflection of the actual gang situation. Interviews with gang members in five Latin American countries and the Washington, DC area, some of whom were in prison, some not, revealed that while some gang members in Latin America know someone living in the US, actual involvement of young people from different countries in organized, criminal activities doesn’t exist, according to the researchers. Community leaders, police officers, and politicians were also interviewed for the study. They tended to see the gang problem as serious, but not to the extent often reported by the news media.
Local media have painted a picture of youth gangs in the “Northern Triangle” as a serious threat to public safety, even to national security. In fact, these groups of mostly marginalized young men with little education and low–level work skills have few resources at their disposal. That the news media have managed to fabricate an image of a nefarious, well–organized, wealthy, and ruthless organization that casts its net over a multi–country geographic area is a testament to the power of the media and fear and gullibility of citizens.
There is no doubt that some young men in particular neighborhoods are terrifying local residents. They shake down some people for money, sell drugs, and are only too willing to use violence to get their way. These particular individuals should be dealt with by the police and the legal system. However, most young Latinos, even most gang members, do nothing more than “hang out.” They know the consequences of breaking the law and understand crime doesn’t pay.
The study also found that gang members tend to come from violent homes. They are either not doing well in school, have been expelled or have simply quit attending. They lack skills that allow them to get good–paying jobs, the researchers found.
While media reports can lead to fear of gangs and legitimize police action, such action can lead to the strengthening of gang bonds. A police crackdown can cause gang members to seek each other out for support. It can also lead young people who have never been in a gang to join one for mutual support and protection. A more effective model of the use of police methods is provided by the Gang Intervention Partnership in Washington, DC, which in addition to policing, draws on schools, health and social service agencies, and community leaders to help prevent gangs, intervene to keep gangs from developing, and when needed, repress gang activity with police action.
Other successful programs are Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles and Operation Ceasefire in Boston. Homeboy Industries, founded in 1988, encourages gang members to find employment. Its rehabilitation program is based on an employment program. Operation Ceasefire combines policing with arms control. Since it was founded gang homicides dropped 70%, according to the report.
The news media would do well to stop the sensational reporting about gangs that only leads to fear and frustration and, eventually, to strong–arm police tactics and inflammatory political rhetoric which often only served to make the problem of youth gangs worse. Reporting on the reality of Latino gang activity, the young people involved in the gang lifestyle and the programs that have achieved some success in addressing the gang situation would do more for the community than sensational journalism can ever hope to accomplish.