corruption plays a big part in ineffective police/military organizations. corruption, especially drug-related corruption, is a major problem for the majority of america's domestic policing units.

think about some american "gangs" like you would about political parties in the middle east, those that represent "the arab street." the terms we use to describe popular social and quasi-political movements are incendiary and unhelpful. some communities have stable, established, local leadership, some of it in the form of "good" community organizations like churches and neighborhood watch groups. sometimes, the leadership and membership of these organizations comes into conflict with the directives of the local policing organization. the media, worthless like that, will always and unquestioningly label opposition to the police as "gangs" if the police tells them to do so, no matter what the actual issue of contention.

think about the population of areas in which the police don't seem to have control (for that's what this is about, not "safety" but control). when the economy turns bad, like now, the poorest are also often the youngest, or have the highest number of young people in their population. also, police forces today are populated with bushies, and there can be little natural rapport between those people and urban minority youth, by definition. it interests me greatly to read, repeatedly, of "gang" activity in the american military. my gang contacts tell me fascinating stories of how urban popular militias are forming right now.

once i didn't believe just how oppressive, corrupt, and racist domestic police forces are. then i lived in the 'hood, in a 99% minority community where the average income was under 20K/family (!) the police there operated like overseers on a plantation; it was blatantly clear that none of us had any "rights" and the majority of the violence was instigated by (often but not always white) police officers running little personal scam kingdoms on the bodies of young black men. this may sound extreme, but it was my experience for several years. there is a war going on, right here in america, but if you don't see it up close you may not know about it. scholars will note the similarities between it and what is happening in other places around the globe, in which the racist neoimperialist economic project is forced upon underclass peoples.

the "street" was abuzz with the story that the Newark police ran out of ammo and were resupplied by boxcars direct from the mafia.

Known gang member arrested within hours of DART's debut

William Lin, The Ottawa Citizen, November 19

Within a few hours of launching a new street gang-fighting response team last week, Ottawa police charged a known gang member with drug-related and other charges.

Last Wednesday, police launched the Direct Action Response Team (DART) in a bid to monitor gang activity and identify youth at risk of joining gangs. The initiative paid off quickly -- about six or seven hours later, the team arrested a known gang member while conducting premises checks, Acting Insp. Mike Callaghan said. Officers also seized 57 grams of crack cocaine worth an estimated $11,000.

The arrest was "very indicative" of the necessity for DART, Acting Insp. Callaghan said, adding that "having officers out there in uniform, it's going to be a very strong deterrent for members involved in gang activity."

Aside from identifying youth at risk, the eight-member team will also work in prevention and intervention while providing a strong police presence in communities, police said. The province is funding the team for one year.

Warfa Ali, 20, has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of possession of proceeds of crime, resisting arrest, obstructing police and three counts of failing to comply with recognizance.
Source

It's a small amount of power, and everyone knows that if the State was really serious it could take it back easily. Yet, for now, and probably for years, the writ of the state shall only be partial in areas the gangs rule.

Because gang violence is a huge problem in our state and is not so slowly migrating from the urban to the suburban areas, huge amounts of resources are being thrown at the problem. My suburban town's police department has recently added a gang enforcement unit at no small cost. Please, please, since you claim to know so much about the gang problem in New Jersey as to suggest the quoted comment above, share how this power can be easily taken back because we citizens of New Jersey need this insight now.