Shoplifter at Little Bits Store

Gangs To Terrorist

By: Sean Roney

On September 11th, America was attacked in a way that no civilian, government agency, or critic thought possible. The use of planes as weapons opened the eyes of the American people to the idea that we are not safe. The blanket of warmth that we used to cover ourselves was just a shroud of naivety. In the years that have followed this attack, America has taken drastic steps toward recouping the sense of security we once enjoyed. We have developed an entire new presidential cabinet position and department, in order to better ease the flow of communication through our intelligence departments, and have forsaken civil liberties in the quest to expel terrorist threats. The major focus of our endeavors has been the people that the perpetrators identify with, the Islamic extremists. However, with this new limited area of focus comes the opportunity for America to be attacked again. The incorporation of the criminal street gang into these terrorist plots is an area that is woefully under explored. While there is no clear black and white correlation between the terrorist world and the gang world, it would be folly to ignore the potential for a link. By using common sense and looking into on going investigations, the distinct line between the two is blurring. It is only now that the potential for future links is being explored by law enforcement agencies. The following contains research material that is both easily accessible and that is subject to change from on going investigations. It is demonstrative of a current link between the street level gang and terrorist organizations. Whether the link is common knowledge on both sides will remain to be seen. History has shown that ignorance is not bliss and that this connection will only lead to more pain for America if it is disregarded.The differences between terrorist and gangster are fundamental. This comes from the ideology that backs each group. According to the United Nations, there is no current universal definition to what terrorism is. The United Nations did develop strong language that hinted at the definition in GA Res. 51-210, “…criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable…” . The Federal Bureau of Investigation has set forth its own definition for street gangs, “A group of people who form an allegiance based on various social needs and engage in acts injurious to public health and morals. Members of street gangs engage in (or have engaged in) gang-focused criminal activity either individually or collectively; they create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation within the community” . The definitions between the two are the dividing wall that prevents the majority of the American community from coming to understand that they may in fact cooperate together. The definition of terrorism is actions against a state while gangs engage in criminal activity to create fear in a community. Terrorists have political goals and gangs have a monetary goal. It has become apparent that a terrorist cell will do anything to obtain their political ideals and history that has shown that gangs will do whatever is necessary for the money. In Chicago during the late fifties to the mid sixties, a group of about 10 men created a gang called the Black P Stones. Over the years, they were just a street level gang until Jeff Fort came into power and changed the group’s focus toward politics. They started out as a political group set on obtaining more rights for African Americans. The group obtained federal grant money to aid it in its quest of empowering African Americans. It was later discovered that money from that grant had been used to fund illegal activities. Jeff Fort went to federal jail for is part in this. It is believed that this is when Jeff Fort made a conversion to Islam. He began to embrace to ideals of Farrakhan and more extreme versions of the religion. Upon his release, he reformulated the gang into the El Rukns in 1976. The El Rukns had an Islamic foundation. In 1986 it was discovered by authorities that Fort had been in contact with Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy. It is believed that Libya would pay the El Rukns 2.5 million dollars to shoot down airliners with Surface to Air Missiles. The government intervened prior to this plot and Fort was sentenced to 80 years in prison.Jose Padilla, the now infamous “Dirty Bomber”, was once a gang member that belonged to the Chicago based gang Maniac Latin Disciples. Padilla had a checked past in regards to criminal behavior. He was arrested for such things as assault, petty theft, and grand theft auto. In 1985, Padilla was sent to jail for his involvement in a murder. Padilla was still a minor at the time and received a lighter sentenced. He was released on his 18th birthday. Approximately three years later, Padilla moved to Florida and was involved in a case of Road Rage. Padilla fired a gun at another motorist after an argument over a traffic incident. He served 10 months after pleading down most of the charges that were against him.After his release from jail, Jose Padilla converted to Islam. After his conversion, it is widely believed that Padilla began to embrace the more radical notions of Islam. In 1998, it is believed that Padilla traveled to Egypt and then Pakistan or Afghanistan. It was in either of these two countries that Padilla met with al-Qaeda officers, most notably Abu Zubaydah, and began to be instructed in the art of making a nuclear weapon. Time Magazine states that “…he approached them with the idea of detonating a ‘dirty bomb’ in a U.S. city, and they obliged by teaching him to wire a bomb” . The FBI took him into custody in May of 2002.Jeff Fort and Jose Padilla are two American gang members that have been tied to terrorism. Both men came from Chicago and both men converted to Islam near the time of their incarceration. The link between gang member and terrorist is not a direct line that is passing through only two points. The connection is longer and more sophisticated. The potential is there. Whether it is through converting an entire gang, as was the case for the Black P Stones, or a single individual, like Padilla, ignoring the threat does not make America safer but exposes the country to the potential for more attacks.With any case of a person migrating to a new country comes the potential for failure. This is one of the keys that gangs look for in new recruits. Those that migrate from Mexico know this well. People come here to find a new life and dream of “making it in America”. For those that come across out borders and in search of this life, they must turn to other sources for survival. The street gang can provide this source, whether through selling drugs or weapons. The further that this person will travel down this path the farther they go from the ideals that brought them to America and closer to the potential for extremist beliefs.La Eme, or Mexican Mafia, was established primarily to protect Mexican inmates from other racial groups and prison staff. After this formation, their numbers swelled throughout the entire California Department of Corrections. Quickly, they came to control all of the illicit material entering and exiting prisons in California. In the California system of prisons, the major adversary of the Mexican Mafia is that of the notorious gang, Nuestra Familia. The reach of the Mexican Mafia is all over the western seaboard. The number “13” and “Sureno” is a common identifier for association with this gang. States all over the country have reported seeing these markers, whether or not this means that each of these states have gangs that relate to the Mexican Mafia remains to be seen.Prior to the mid 1960’s, the entire incarcerated Mexican population belonged to La Eme. The members from the south would abuse those form the north. The southerns believed that all northern Mexicans were people from poor farming communities and would use that as a justification for ill treatment. There was a split in the Mexican gang structure in the year 1968. The story of exactly why this split occurs varies. It has been told that a pair of shoes, someone was supposed to give someone else or they were stolen. It has also been told that the shoes were a catalyst for a larger issue, one of respect. The Mexican Mafia hierarchy was supplied with men from Southern California, mostly cities. Those that came from the north were primarily sons of farmers and looked down upon because of it. Nuestra Familia was formed to counter act the abuse by the Southern Mexicans against the Northern Mexicans. The identifiers of the Nuestra Familia gang are the letters “N”, “NF”, or the number “14”. Sympathizers and associates are typically referred to as Norteno’s. The Norteno’s make and sell drugs, run protection rackets, and various other criminal activities to make money. 18th Street Gang is a Los Angeles gang that was the largest in the city prior to being incorporated into the Mexican Mafia. The gang was formed as a collection of juveniles that were denied member ship from another gang. According to Orange County District Attorney Al Valdez, “The 18th Street gang was the first Hispanic gang to break the racial membership barrier. This willingness to step across racial lines allowed rapid and unchecked growth in the gang's membership…” . With new members, the gang quickly adhered to the more violent forms of gang activity including drive-bys. With the escalation of their activities, the gang began to dive deeper into the drug trade.The Latin Kings are another Chicago based gang. It is believed that they were formed in the 1960’s or 70’s. They are currently believed to be the largest gang in the country. According to the Florida Department of Corrections there are approximately 25,000 members in Chicago alone . The primary colors of the Latin Kings are yellow (or gold) and black. Following the lead of other street gangs, the Latin Kings are involved with “…the sale of drugs, weapons trafficking, and providing protection…” . The uses of illegal activities demonstrate a disregard for the norms and values held by conventional society.Current investigations into the Mexican Gangs of America have demonstrated that they are working with foreign groups to help operate their revenue sources. It is believed that the Mexican Mafia and Nuestra Familia are working with Middle Eastern Organized Crime groups, even Hezbollah, to transport a key ingredient for making methamphetamine, Psuedophedrine, across the US /Canadian Border. After making this drug, it is believed that some is sold to biker gangs like the Hells Angels. The Latin Kings have been implicated in scams with the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Such scams include reselling baby formula that is past its expiration date and making counterfeit coupons to use against corporations like Toys R Us. It is believed that the total losses of these scams reach higher than 51 million dollars. It is believed that the 18th street gang is working with Middle Eastern Organized Crime fronts in Los Angeles to utilize stolen credit cards for terrorist purposes. The gang member can sell credit cards and treasury checks obtained from mail theft to fences that will then pass along the funds to their terrorist backers. A fence is a person who buys stolen property and then sells it. It is entirely possible that the gangs do not know that they are aiding terrorism, that they believe their money stops with the Middle Eastern Organized Crime syndicates, however current investigations show that the money is going back to the middle east for that purpose.Connections to terrorism are not solely residing in the Mexican gang community. Mara Salvatrucha is a gang comprised of El Salvadorian immigrants that also has begun to show links to terrorism. They began to surface in the United States in the mid 1980’s. The Salvadorians were fleeing their home country due to losing a civil war; they had allied themselves with the losing party Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMNL). Upon entering the United States, these ex guerillas traveled to places like California and Washington DC. It was at these locations where Mara Salvatrucha was formed. The gang uses the abbreviation MS13 as a call sign. The gang maintains links with their native land, “In El Salvador, a hand grenade sells for $1.00-$2.00 U.S. currency and an M-16 rifle will sell for approximately $200.00-$220.00 U.S. dollars” . Mara Salvatrucha does not identify with any governing body and is therefore able to support terrorism. According to an October 2004 article from the Jamestown Foundation, “Shukrijumah was spotted in Guyana, then at an internet café in May in Honduras, where he was identified during surveillance of a meeting of Mara Salvatrucha gang leaders in the capital Tegucigalpa” . Adnan El-Shukrijumah has been identified as an al-Qaeda operative that is attempting to smuggle a dirty bomb into the United States. It is also believed by law enforcement agencies that the Mara Salvatrucha street gang declared that they were going to blow up bombs across the United States if Iraq was invaded in 2003. The plot never came out.There exists a link between two unlikely candidates, Islamic fundamentalism and Nazism. The bridge between these two ways of thought are brought forth by a German man by the name Allen “Ahmed” Huber. “The alliance has come," Huber said. "The 11th of September has brought together [the two sides… I agree with them 100 percent, what happened on the 11th of September, if it is the Muslims who did it, it is not an act of terrorism but an act of counterterrorism” . Huber’s words do not represent the majority opinion of either side, but are developing more followers. To understand the link between these two schools of thought, one must look at the old axiom “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. Both Islamic extremist and Nazi’s see the Jewish people as the enemy and both have hatred for the US government. This is where the link will occur. “…the writings of William L. Pierce, the American whose novel "The Turner Diaries" inspired Oklahoma City bomber Timothy J. McVeigh, have appeared on the Web site of Hezbollah…” . Offering words of encouragement and support is not the only thing that Huber has been involved with. He also was a part of a company that has been implicated in aiding the terrorist group financially. “Huber serves on the board of directors of Nada Management. Founded by a Swiss Nazi and formerly known as al Taqwa Bank … which the United States believes has long acted as a financial adviser to al-Qaeda” . Logic would suggest that if Nazi’s in Germany are beginning to adhere to the idea that Islamic terrorist groups and Nazi groups can get along, then American Nazi’s would be doing the same. The most feared black California prison gang is the Black Guerilla Family, or BGF. Their ideology is one of a violent revolution against the American Government in the name of African American rights. George Jackson, a former Black Panther, formed the Black Guerilla Family in 1966. Current studies show that the BGF is losing members and power however. “It has recently reorganized and gained substantial power and growth due to its alignment with the 415s, Crips, Bloods, and Black Gangster Disciples” . The strength of the BGF can be measured in the actions taken in its name. A prime example is the response to the death of their founder, George Jackson. Jackson was killed. “On August 21, 1971 Jackson was killed by guards in what was called an escape attempt. The uncertainty surrounding Jackson's killing helped set off the uprising at Attica state prison in New York three weeks later” . The Black Guerilla Family works in a much more secret sense as opposed to other prison gangs. Hatred for the United States Government is what could link the BGF to terrorism.There are a growing number of people adhering to radical ideas in the United States. A man by the name Clarence Smith formed a splinter group from the Nation of Islam after being expelled, called the Five Percenters. The Federal Bureau of Investigation began to look into this newly formed practice a year after its formation. In an August 22, 1966 report the group is referred to as “He [name censored] described the ‘Five Percenters’ as a militant Negro youth organization on the style of the Black Muslims” . The name Five Percenters alludes to their belief that only five percent of the population is righteous and they represent that figure. The gentlemen that make up the proclaim their virtues, their actions show differently “a violent drug gang … for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. … WARREN and JONES, as well as other members of the gang, are associated with the ‘Five Percenters’…” . The Five Percenters do not identify with the American Government. The ideologies of the Islamic Extremist, which the world is focusing on the war on terror, are closer to that of the Five Percenters. They share the same religion and hatred for the United States Government. Terrorist groups are adapting to better thrive under the new world pressure. They no longer have to solely look to their own countrymen for aid in their plots. Jose Padilla or the El Rukns are evidence of this. Arizona Senator John Kyl wrote in 2003, “Jose Padilla, a terrorist accused of trying to build a ‘dirty bomb’ to unleash in the United States, was exposed to radical Islam in the U.S. prison system” . The institutions are excellent funnels into any radical belief. The enemy is the government; they are responsible for setting up the laws that are the basis for each inmate’s incarceration. With the mixing of these populations, terrorist groups are shown new ways of funding their efforts.It is possible that the drug trade is a new arm of funding. In testimony before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Asst Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Rand Beers stated, “Afghanistan’s opiate trafficking, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the world’s supply, was reportedly advocated by Osama bin Ladin as a way to weaken the West” . With the key figure in international terrorism recommending a new method of attacking western interest, the terror world would take notice. In a 2002 United Nations study into the production of opium, “…the total opium production in Afghanistan is estimated to amount to 3,400 metric tons…in 2002” . Opiates are not the only drug to be taken out of the region, “The Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan/ Afghanistan are the main sources of hashish” . The use of a range of drugs demonstrates that the groups are expanding their network. Looking into other countries show that the drug trade is a pillar of the economy. “Khat is an important part of the economy of many producer countries, particularly Somalia and Yemen” . Khat is a plant that reacts in a persons body the same way amphetamines do. The countries that produce these drugs have no reason to even tolerate the United States. They produce drugs that “weaken the west”. Once the drugs come into the country, the groups will sell the substances to street gangs for distribution. The street level gang members may not even be aware that they are aiding the terrorist networks but the link cannot be ignored.Further adaptation comes from a rapper in England. The group Sheikh Terra and the Soul Salah Crew produced a song entitled “Dirty Kuffar”, kuffar is a term that means unbeliever. The aim of this song is to promote al-Qaeda. It does so with such lyrics as, “Dirty Kuffar wherever you are; From Kandahar to Ramallah; OBL [Osama bin Laden] Crew be like a shining star; like the way we destroy them two tower ha ha…" . It is produced under the name Digihad, which could mean Digital Jihad. This demonstrates how the psychological aspects work in searching for new recruits. In the same way that gangster rap idealized the lifestyle of a gang member, digihad can do the same for the terrorist world. By showing the glorification of their beliefs, it is possible to increase their followers and numbers. The message that is pulled from the video demonstrates yet another link between the gang world and that of the terrorist. After the 9-11 attacks the Untied States Department of Justice rounded up people that were suspected of having terrorist contacts. They took these suspects to local jails. “Yet, according to press reports, on January 18, there were about 600 "special interest" cases in custody in three facilities alone: 346 individuals were held at the Passaic County Jail in New Jersey…” . This shows that the populations of prisoners and terrorist are mixed together. When these individuals live in close quarters, it is possible for them to share ideals and identify with one another. By identifying with the individual causes, the Justice Department has unwittingly exposed the United States to more terrorism connections.7The potential for a link is very apparent. The 9-11 Commission does not even allude to the possibility of being attacked from within through street gangs. The mentality of the American people appears to be one of apathy toward the subject. For over three decades, street gangs have slowly become a staple of American culture. Society does not like their presence but accepts it. To ignore the potential for a union is folly. It would be to live in a world of fantasy, with the illusion of security is around us once again. “Angry, alienated, and often with little to lose, prisoners often prove receptive to extreme belief systems of all stripes” . Prisoners that go into the system are not people that identify with the typical norms and values of mainstream society. The institution polarizes them first into racist beliefs, then towards paranoia, and finally toward extremist views. In a sense, the current justice system is only exacerbating the situation with their policies. The 9-11 Commission does not address these points and America is left open to attacks again.Law enforcement must adapt to meet the coming changes in the world. There needs to be open communication between the community and police officers. More education is needed to identify potential terrorists and how they are effecting those around them. Money must be followed through the world and identified its use. This is not an easy task. Terrorist can use a banking system called hawala, meaning to wire or transfer in Arabic. “…hawala, essentially an unlicensed bank that is a conduit for money transfers around the world with little regulation or paper trail” . System operates by holding money in one “bank” and having the other hawala give the recipient the amount at the other “bank”. The money never actually changes hands but is used for future dealings between both hawala’s. This method makes it extremely difficult for agencies to track money destinations and locations. However, this does not excuse law enforcement from doing its job. In order to regain the security our nation once enjoyed the task must be completed.The significance of this issue is that there is a large potential for terrorist groups and gangs to work together. If this link were to be formally established then America would literally become over run with new terrorist cells. The National Youth Gang Survey stated, “Survey results led researchers to estimate that more than 24,500 gangs and 772,500 gang members were active in 2000” . Imagine that each one of those gangs became an independent terrorist cell. The country would have over three quarters of a million terrorists inside our boarders. Each gang already has a hierarchy established and a chain of command. Any orders would be carried out with a threat of death for disobedience. Currently, law enforcement has no way of combating this potentially new-formed alliance.It is easy, even comfortable, to state that there is no way that gangs and terrorist could get along in that fashion. However, it has already occurred. The El Rukns plotted to shoot down airliners for Libya in the 1980’s and gang members are already converting to radical Islamic beliefs, as evident with Jose Padilla. Current legislation and policies are not equipped to battle the combination of beliefs. The prison system does nothing but further the chances for extremist thought and a pool of recruits to meet.The topic is in its infancy and information is hard to find. The 9-11 Commission did not address this link and only few law enforcement officials appear to be actively investigating it. America has only been fiercely diving into domestic ties to foreign groups since 9-11. The commission focused all of the attention outward, beyond America’s borders. Scholars of terrorism do not appear to be acknowledging the connection as information is scarcely available. On going investigations are being to produce this ties however it does not appear to be heading in any beneficial direction.Terrorism and street gangs are becoming more and more synonymous in their relation. Street gangs are utilizing the drug connections that terrorist groups have to obtain product for distribution and therefore satisfying goals of both organizations. As evident with the El Rukns, gangs also can begin to sell their services to the international community. If the ideologies of terrorist groups seem to satisfy the street gangs terms then there would be no reason to remain different. As stated prior, law enforcement, in its current manifestation, is not developed to battle this possibility. The legislative body continues to treat these two problems as separate. Gang members are jailed and alienated from society. The society that exists in prisons is one of strong anti U.S. government, which coincides with terrorist’s philosophy. Jose Padilla grew up a gang member and became a terrorist. It is unknowable for the American population to predict and curb the recruitment of gang members into terrorist cells. The information is not old and is changing everyday, therefore our reactive stance is not able to meet this growing trend. However, actions must be taken to at least make the attempt at becoming more aware of coexisting agents against the government. Studies must be done and communities must be informed. Law enforcement agents should share information about potential terrorist and correlating gang activities. To ignore the threat of this would be tantamount to inviting another September 11th attack.

Independence Crime Task Force

Independence Crime Task Force

Meetings every 4th Tuesday

6:00 to 7:30 pm.

At the Trails West Library

TOPICS

.

• Don't accept what you know is not right
• Make Public Safety our number on PRIORITY
• Legislative strategies: Please Write/Call or Visits
• Network with every one you know to save our City
• Speak out to the media and be heard

TOGETHER: THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS! DEFEAT THE DIVIDE & CONQUER STRATEGY!

Elisa Breithenbach: 816-252-2487

BRING YOUR BEST FRIENDS!

Requested Information From the City

August 6, 2008
Elisa Breitenback
Independence, Mo.

RE: Information Request

Dear Ms. Breitenback

In response to your letter dated July 29, 2008, requesting information under the Sunshine law, I lave provided the following answers in an attempt to provide information which is subject to the law. Your request contained a series of questions which can be categorized as either within or outside the scope of the law. Additionally some of the potentially covered request will not produce any documents as none exist. Please remember that the Sunshine Law is primarily designed to keep government meetings open and to provide access to public documents as defined by the law. For convenience sake each of your questions has been set out below.

1.) How many police officers do we have on the streets of Independence?
A.) The budget reflects an authorized strength in the patrol division of 88 officers.
2.) How many officers did we have 20 years ago?
A.) Answer not given.
3.) How long will we have to wait for a police chief?
A.) Answer not given.
4.) Why does it so long? Whats the hold up?
A.) Answer not given.
5.) How many police officer do we have in Western Independence? On the four different watches what is the break down?
A.) Answer not given.
6.) Please tell me how many hours they work, how many breaks they get, and how much time they have for there follow-ups, and the average watch, how many calls an officer gets for all of Independence?
A.) Answer not given.
7.) How many police officers work on the quasi gang unit?
A.) Answer not given.
8.) Why don't we have a true gang unit with all the gangs and drug activity we have in the city?
A.) Answer not given.
9.) What makes up the Wolf Pack gang and how long has it existed?
A.) Answer not given.

All Sunshine Laws requests should be addresses to the City Clerk for handling. That would include any of the follow up requested in response to this letter.

Sincerely,
Bruce Lowrey
(City Clerk)

Note: The responses marked as (A. Answer not given.) means that 1.- no answer was stated or the the reply meant that they refuse to answer.

Two arrested in shooting of homeless man

Independence, MO —
Police have arrested two men in connection with the shooting of a homeless man in Independence.

Tom Gentry, spokesman for the Independence Police Department, said this morning that police made the arrests late Monday afternoon after continuing to follow leads in the Feb. 1 shooting and in a series of burglaries.

Alex C. Ojeda, 19, and Milford Printy, 24, both face charges of first-degree assault with a firearm and first-degree armed criminal action. Each is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond. It’s unclear, in the case of each man, whether he’s from Kansas City, Mo., or Kansas City, Kan.
The shooting happened shortly before midnight on Feb. 1. Police say the victim was near the railroad tracks that pass over Chrysler Avenue when he heard shots. He decided to leave the area and was walking along the tracks when he ran into two men. One of the men pulled a handgun and shot him in the lower back.

The men left, and the victim used his cell phone to call police. He was hospitalized, had surgery and is recovering.

Mayor Cory Booker

Cleaning Up the Streets of Newark
Newark, N.J. Is One of America's Roughest Cities -- but Perhaps Not for Long
SHARYN ALFONSI
Oct. 25, 2008 —

Cory Booker is not your typical mayor.
He has chosen to live in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in what has historically been one of America's most dangerous cities: Newark, N.J.
"The risk I'm taking is very small," Booker told "Good Morning America." "The reality is, I am the mayor. I have security with me all the time. I want to make sure that every resident in our city, no matter what neighborhood they live in, is just as safe as a mayor riding around with security detail."

A few years ago, that was unthinkable. Newark, by all accounts, had been written off. The Riots of 1967 set the tone for crime and gang violence. Crack became the drug of choice and the school dropout rate hit an all-time high.

So, when Booker took office, he started small -- street corner by street corner.
"We have to say that we're not going to allow this to happen," Booker said. "Not in a nation this strong and a city this great should these kind of behaviors go on."
One need only to look today at American History High School, a new magnet school of about 500 students.

Robert Gregory, a product of Newark, is the school's principal.
"When I was growing up, they would steal from you," Gregory said. "They would take your jacket and come up to you and ask what size shoe you wore and take it from you. That was the reality of inner city life."

Even the students here, however, are plagued with great challenges. Forty percent of the student body are being raised by their grandparents. Their parents are often in jail or on drugs.
Hasan, a 15-year-old student, said he is driven just to be "everything [his] father wasn't."

Last summer, Newark experienced some of its darkest days when three college-bound students were gunned down in a Newark schoolyard. For Mayor Booker, it was a defining moment.
"I mean, I feel like I've never been hit so hard spiritually than that day when we had three kids murdered," Booker said.

Since the shooting, a new police chief moved hundreds of police officers from desk duty onto the streets. The city installed more than 100 surveillance cameras in Newark's worst crime-infested areas.

The result? Murders this year are down 41 percent from 2007. Shootings are down 20 percent and arrests are up 7 percent. The numbers encourage Booker.

"Give us another five years and we're going to show you what's possible," he said. "The great thing about Newark is that I think the faith and the spirit of the city, which sustained it during the tough times, finally we're starting to see their fruits now."
"There's no way I'm going to settle for good when better is possible and there's no way I'm going to settle for better when we can be best."

Exclusive: Feds Release National Gang Threat Assessment

According to the 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment released by the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) and the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), approximately one million gang members belonging to more than 20,000 gangs were criminally active in the U.S. as of September 2008.

The assessment was developed through analysis of available federal, state, and local law enforcement information; 2008 NDIC National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) data; and verified open source information such as material provided by the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police.

“Gangs have long posed a threat to public safety, but as this study shows, gang activity is no longer merely a problem for urban areas. Gang members are increasingly moving to suburban America, bringing with them the potential for increased crime and violence,” said Assistant Director Kenneth W. Kaiser, FBI Criminal Investigative Division.

Other key findings are as follows:

* Local street gangs, or neighborhood-based street gangs, remain a significant threat because they still constitute the largest number of gangs nationwide. Most engage in violence in conjunction with a variety of crimes, including retail-level drug distribution.

* According to NDTS data, 58% of state and local law enforcement agencies reported that criminal gangs were active in their jurisdictions in 2008 compared with 45 percent of state and local agencies.

* Gang members are migrating from urban to suburban and rural areas, expanding the gangs’ influence in most regions. They are doing so for a variety of reasons, including expanding drug distribution territories, increasing illicit revenue, recruiting new members, hiding from law enforcement, and escaping from other gangs. Many suburban and rural communities are experiencing increasing gang-related crime and violence because of expanding gang influence.

* Criminal gangs commit as much as 80% of the crime in many communities, according to law enforcement officials throughout the nation. Typical gang-related crimes include alien smuggling, armed robbery, assault, auto theft, drug trafficking, extortion, fraud, home invasions, identity theft, murder, and weapons trafficking.

* Gang members are the primary retail-level distributors of most illicit drugs. They also are increasingly distributing wholesale-level quantities of marijuana and cocaine in most urban and suburban communities.

* Some gangs are trafficking illicit drugs at the regional and national levels; several are capable of competing with U.S.-based Mexican drug trafficking organizations.

* U.S.-based gang members illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border for the express purpose of smuggling illicit drugs and illegal aliens from Mexico into the United States.

* Many gangs actively use the Internet to recruit new members and to communicate with members in other areas of the U.S. and in foreign countries.

* Street gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs pose a growing threat to law enforcement along the U.S.–Canada border. They frequently associate with Canada-based gangs and criminal organizations to facilitate various criminal activities, including drug smuggling into the United States.

Author’s note: The following agencies contributed to the report: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance; Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Federal Bureau of Prisons; National Drug Intelligence Center; National Gang Intelligence Center; Office of National Drug Control Policy, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas; United States Army Criminal Investigations Division; United States Customs and Border Protection; United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; numerous state and local law enforcement agencies; police and law enforcement organizations; and the Canada Border Service Agency.