FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 18, 2000

CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

Gang Activity in South carolina

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today released findings from a study exploring gang activity in South Carolina. The report, prepared by Clemson University’s Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, is the largest survey ever done on gangs in South Carolina and was funded by the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics through DPS.

"Gangs in South Carolina: An Exploratory Study" examined the nature and extent of gang activity in South Carolina. According to the study, law enforcement officials have seen signs of gangs and gang-related activity in South Carolina, but their presence is widely scattered throughout the state.

Information was gathered through a statewide survey of over 600 police chiefs, sheriffs and agents from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services. Information also was provided through interviews conducted with juveniles detained by the DJJ.

"This report is a first step toward documenting the presence of gangs and gang-related behavior in the state," says Professor Mark Small, lead author of the report. "Because current databases do not collect statewide information about gangs and their activities, this report relies on the perceptions of those who work most closely with juveniles and crime around the state and juveniles themselves. Consequently, the results should be interpreted cautiously."

Report findings include:

• Generally, a higher number of gangs and related problematic behavior are seen by law enforcement to be present in metropolitan areas.
• For the most part, gangs are perceived to consist of young males, with little female involvement.
• The most frequently perceived gang activities include the sale, use, and distribution of illegal drugs.

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Gang Activity in South Carolina

December 18, 2000

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When asked about the best ways to address gang problems, survey respondents generally favored intervention and prevention efforts, although there was some variability among communities. Respondents in metropolitan areas generally favored suppression strategies such as increased law enforcement to reduce gang activity.

"Like many initial efforts, this report raises as many questions as it answers, " says Rob McManus, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety program officer who oversaw the study. "Still largely unknown is the degree to which communities are affected by the presence of gangs, the extent to which gangs are present and disruptive in schools, and the nature of community responses to gang-related behavior."

Report recommendations include collecting data that is more specifically related to schools and communities; implementing and evaluating community efforts designed to reduce gang-related behavior; and disseminating useful information to relevant state agencies and communities.

Editor’s Note: A copy of the executive summary may be obtained by contacting Rob McManus, South Carolina Department of Public Safety, at (803) 896-8717. For more information on or questions concerning the content of the study, contact Mark Small, Clemson University, at (864) 656-6271.

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OJP/JB/149/2000

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