Gang Threat Level Orange
Submitted by Northwest Harley Blog
As a biker, I know there is a difference between the true image of brothers in the wind and public perceptions. This becomes acute when it’s time to work on serious issues like association rights, enhanced “affiliation” penalties, noise mandates, ordinances to eliminate rallies and deal with 1%’ers.
Unfortunately, it seems when legislators deal with serious motorcycle issues they do so with little knowledge, act as experts and spray paint so called fixes on everyone. And at least one community is to blame — the media — for often failing to report unbiased information regarding motorcycle “clubs” or gangs. More often than not the reporting tends to lean towards the sensational. Bloggers are guilty too.
So, before I get a bunch of email stating how the term Motorcycle “gangs” indicates my bias or how they are misunderstood and are really a bunch of biker dads who love leather…let’s review the 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment (PDF) which was recently released. While much of the report is skewed toward “street gangs” (examples: Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, Ñeta, MS 13, Sureños 13 etc.,) there is a lot of information about outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMG) (examples: Bandidos, Hells Angels, Mongols, Outlaws, Sons of Silence, etc.) all working to control retail-level distribution of cocaine, meth, heroin, and marijuana. The OMG designation is from the document and I’m using it to be consistent with the report.
The report conservatively estimates more than 1 MILLION gang members belong to more than 20,000 gangs. There are between 280 and 520 Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG) that range in size from a single chapter to hundreds of chapters worldwide. Estimates indicate that more than 20,000 OMG members reside in the U.S. If I did the math correct, OMG membership represent about 2% of the overall gang membership and about 3% of the total number of gangs. Not an alarming number in of itself, but somehow attracts a disproportionate share of media publicity. A few factoids from the report:
- Outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMG) pose a growing threat to law enforcement and public safety. Especially pronounced along the U.S.- Canada and U.S. - Mexico border. They frequently associate with criminal organizations to facilitate drug smuggling into the U.S.
- Criminal gangs are responsible for as much as 80% of ALL crime in many communities.
- National-level OMG criminal activity poses a serious national domestic threat. National level OMGs are a considerable concern to law enforcement because they are highly structured organizations with memberships ranging into the thousands, maintaining strong associations with transnational Drug Transport Organizations (DTOs) and other criminal organizations.
- In the U.S. 109 regional-level OMGs have been identified by gang investigators; most support one of the national-level OMGs. Several regional-level OMGs maintain independent associations with transnational DTOs and other criminal organizations.
- For the first time provides insight into the size and role of gangs in the military
The report goes on to highlight how the criminal organizations — like technology — seem to move fast, adopt and never stay the course with tactics. They are most busy and seldom wait on the sidelines missing out on “revenue” or allow themselves to become marginalized. They use cell phone voice/text messaging capabilities to conduct transactions and prearrange meetings. They use multiple cell phones or prepaid phones which are frequently discarded after conducting operations. Internet-based methods are being adopted and the use of social networking sites, encrypted e-mail, IP telephones, and Twitter message sites are common. The use of social media sites such as MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook to post well-produced, self-promoting music/videos of the “gang” lifestyle. Pre-teens are down loading propaganda ring-tones and images which glorify gangs! There has also been an increased effort by gang members to actively “spar” on internet message boards to protect their virtual spaces as well as use internet profiling techniques to recruit.
My grip after looking over the report is the fact it doesn’t attempt to address:
- Gang intelligence improvements that work and help reduce incidents.
- Gang suppression techniques which are working and the role of the community.
- Legal considerations on enforcement issues and use of gang-specific legislation.
- Cost of anti-gang resources and return on investment - no performance measurement of the organization?
So, do you think this report will help or hurt motorcycle enthusiasts? Do you think it will accelerate legislation to address enhanced “affiliation” penalties in the northwest? Should we wait for the Homeland Security advisory system to monitor and report on the ongoing threat levels of the nations criminal gangs? If so it would be set at HIGH (Orange).
Photo courtesy of National Gang Intelligence Center.
All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog
What are you riding? We want to know. Register on Motorcycles Blog now and get published within minutes. Before posting, it is recommended that you review our posting guidelines.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
One thing I will say about this article is that most people not involved in a club tend to accept what law enforcement says without question on the matter. The problem is that everyone, even members of clubs that do not commit crimnal acts (I can’t speak for any club per se, but usually, criminal acts are individual “achievements”) are branded the same. I saw a post the other day on why anyone would want to enter such a club. Based on the assessment of LEO’s they must all be criminals or of a criminal mindset. Of course explaining that it is just the opposite is a subject that falls on deaf ears to those who choose to believe otherwise. It is hard for people who live thier lives as subjects of a regime based on a modern form of fuedalism to understand people who consider the system corrupt, biased and often committing criminal acts of carelessness (if not outright intent) against its citizens. It is hard to understand such men when you believe in such a system and choose to ignore the wrong doings of a big government that doesn’t fear the people anymore, but instead ignore its crimes as things happening to “the other guy”. It is impossible to understand men who choose instead of following the sheep of the world, to follow thier own way. Does this mean such men are all running drugs and other criminal activities? I dunno I guess if you wear harley attire at all, based on current legislature, you are gong to be grouped in with that sect. I do realize there are big differences between someone buying a bike and putting on a harley shirt and a member of a serious MC, but therein lies the problem. If you never wondered why you are a member of a country instead of just a member of your own family, why you are called to fight for people in high places for wars that do not seem to have anything to do with actual national security, or keeping bombs out of your backyard, then you probably are fine with being a fuedal peasant, however rich you may seem to be right now. How can people who don’t understand they serve the big fish of the world, corporations, governments, etc. that these other men simply choose to walk another path? No it is easier to accept what your masters tell you, and simply believe thier version of the truth. The simple truth is, most people who read and agree with the LEO’s version of the facts will not understand. And yes crime does go on in the MC world, don’t be fooled. I don’t personally agree with that part of the lifestyle, and I do think to survive MC’s that participate in this will have to stop, and, without giving up who they are and what they stand for, change this. But I also believe that the motorcycle world is the last frontier for men who wish to have some sense of themselves and of what thier God-given freedom to live thier life should be. Take all my words for what they are an opinion. And probably not one most readers will share.