In the city of Nashville, Tennessee juvenile violence and gang-related crimes continues to rise, and nearly fifty percent of gang members are under the age of eighteen (Sanders & Moore, n.d.). Furthermore, in 2005 gang prevalence became immediately apparent in Nashville, and in 2011 gang-related crimes increased by approximately twenty-five percent state wide (The Tennessean, 2012). Additionally, from 2005 to 2011 the entire state of Tennessee had a one hundred and ten percent spike in gang related incidents (The Tennessean, 2012).
Gang-related incidents have become so significant in Nashville that the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s Specialized Investigations Division has developed a continuing initiative labeled Operation Safer
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Consequently, the survey revealed consistent rate of gang activity from 2009 to 2010, but in metropolitan cities the gang-related homicide increased by thirteen percent from 2009 to 2010 (Egley & Howell, 2012). Subsequently, from my experience as a police officer, I can reaffirm juvenile gang members are prevalent in Nashville. In fact, majority of the gang members we encounter are typically sixteen to twenty years old. Due to the rising number of gang-related incidents, our Gangs Unit has developed a checklist for patrol officers to identify gang members. Also, when performing a local criminal records check, their criminal profile will reveal if the person is a confirmed gang member.
References
Egley, A., & Howell, J. C. (2012). Highlights of the 2010 National Youth Gang Survey. Retrieved from: https://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/237542.pdf
Sanders, R., & Moore, S. (n.d.). Mandatory Waiver for Juvenile Gang Members in Tennessee. Retrieved from: http://www.belmont.edu/burs/pdf/Social%20Work-%20Sanders%20and%20Moore.pdf
Searles, K. (2017). Police: 25 criminals arrested in initiative to combat gangs in Nashville. Retrieved from: http://fox17.com/news/local/25-criminals-arrested-in-initiative-to-combat-gangs-in-parts-of-nashville
The Tennessean. (2012). Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says rural gangs are spreading. Retrieved from: