Violent Gangs

As law enforcement continues to struggle in its attempt to deal with Asian criminal groups, the groups continue to evolve rapidly in terms of the sophistication of their crimes and the violence that is normally associated with traditional groups in Los Angeles.

Losses to businesses from counterfeit travelers’ checks are estimated as having been in the millions of dollars.

Most law enforcement investigators view counterfeiting travelers’ checks to be a non-violent white-collar crime. However, in part, this crime resulted in the execution-style murder of a Southern California law enforcement officer.

Alliances between Asian and non-Asian organized crime are becoming more common and are resulting in millions of dollars in profits.

Far from being opportunistic, the Asian criminal continues to be far superior, both individually and as a group, than the traditional criminal gangs they appear to be emulating.

Ninety-nine percent of the Asian population are model citizens. But these Asian gang members are part of the growing criminal element.

The type of violence normally associated with traditional (black, Hispanic and white) street gangs is becoming more common among Asian gangs.

Today, Asian gang members may be dressed like your child with a grade point average that would allow entry into any college in the United States.

Asian gang members may not look like traditional gang members. However, they are probably involved in some of the money making criminal activities associated with these gangs including: counterfeiting software, credit card and payroll/traveler’s check fraud, illegal gambling, etc.

Police officers are not forgotten on skinhead hate lists.

While their numbers are very small in comparison to the more established street gangs, racist skinheads are capable of, and have carried out, forms of violence equal to any assaults you have seen from other gang members.

When tagger crews engage in conspiratorial behavior including car jacking, bomb making, illegal drug trafficking and murder, it is clearly gang activity.

Taggers are often overlooked because they are “just taggers.”

Rap music has long since transcended the boundary of the inner-city minority community to cross all racial/ethnic, geographic, socio-economic and gender lines.

In 1999, for the first time ever, rap outsold what previously had been America’s top selling format, country music – selling more than 81 million CDs, tapes and albums.

Rap’s image of the inner-city minority gang member embracing the ‘thug’ way of life proves to be intoxicating and addictive to the young, who see it as something to embrace.

Guns and violence will continue to dominate the music and conversely the street gang culture.

There is a developing change for the better in terms of the messages being delivered to youth through rap music, with some artists singing songs with themes involving: saying no to gangs, sexual abstinence or safe sex practices, increasing awareness of the AIDS epidemic and praising women.

Assimilation into the mainstream of California society was very difficult for Mexican youths of the early 1900s.

Gang members view incarceration as a status symbol.

To protect themselves from gangs, illegal immigrants formed groups.

Most of the illegals were hardworking people who were attempting to eke out a meager existence for themselves and their families.

It was only a matter of time until the prison gangs saw the lucrative value of street gang members dealing drugs.

Narcotics are a significant part of the gangster lifestyle, bringing in large sums of money and powerful weapons.

Numerous gang members have begun to show interest in politics and have become successful as reformed gang members, attempting to change the neighborhoods.

The gangster rap world has crossed all ethnic, religious and class lines in this country similar to the music of the ’50s and ’60s.

Terrorism

The 9/11 attacks have seemed to accentuate a trend in terrorism of fewer attacks with more fatalities.

“The key point to any counterterrorism policy is to be able to disrupt the terrorists before they act. In order to disrupt terrorists, you have to know about them and what they’re doing. And the only effective way to do that is to spy on them, and that means recruiting terrorists as informants.”
    — Paul Bremer, former State Department courterterrorism chief under President Reagan

“We are sure of our victory. Our battle with the Americans is larger than our battle with the Russians. We predict a black day for America and the end of the United States.”
    — Osama bin Laden, 3 years before Sept. 11

“… the terrorist [today] is not just prepared to get killed, he wants to get killed.”
    — Lord Chalfont, terrorist authority

“Our war on terror begins with al-Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.”
    — President Bush, Sept. 20, 2001

“The State Department defines terrorism as ‘premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.'”

Early terrorism dates back all the way to 66-73 AD up to the present and includes groups in most areas of the world including but not limited to parts of South America, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the United States.

Whatever the reason for why terrorists act the way they do, their main goal is to promote fear among the public at large.

Terrorist incidents are international: carried out by terrorists from diverse countries working together, attacking a different country, and financed by another country.

An aircraft was first used for terrorism in January 1974.

Biological and chemical weapons are comparatively cheap and easy to manufacture.

Biological weaponry is especially dangerous because it can be contagious and its effect can be felt for an indefinite period of time.

Germany was largely responsible for sharing biochemical weaponry with Iraq.

Saddam tried out his new weapons on approximately 1700 Iranians, who were maimed or killed by the weapons.

During United Nations inspections, Iraq would only reveal their work on a particular chemical or biological agent after the inspections unveiled evidence of its involvement.

One can’t taste or see chemical weapons; they are colorless and odorless.

During the Cold War, biological and chemical weapons’ research was extensive because their use can be more effective than conventional explosives.

Bin Laden was seen as a hero because he left his very expensive lifestyle in support of the Afghan war.

Finally, Jihadists believe they are capable of defeating a major superpower because of the withdrawal of the Soviet Union during the Afghan war.

Al-Qaida has evolved into a global network with cells (organized groups) all over the world.

It is the objective of the al-Qaida organization to kill at least four million Americans.

Al-Qaida’s training focuses on how to inflict terror through the use of various types of firearms, explosives, chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

Along with weapons’ training, recruits are taught security and counterintelligence methods on “how to blend in” in the Western world.

In 1993, bin Laden began efforts to obtain nuclear bomb materials.

On February 22, 1998 a Fatwah from Osama bin Laden was issued stating, “in compliance with God’s order, we issue the following fatwah to all Muslims: the ruling to kill the Americans and their allies, including civilians and military, is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it….kill Americans — including civilians — anywhere in the world where they can be found.”

In large measure, terrorist incidents share some characteristics with large natural disasters.

The threat posed specifically by foreign terrorists has increased in the past three years and will continue in the foreseeable future.

Loosely affiliated extremists may pose the most urgent international terrorist threat to the United States at this time since they are relatively unknown to law enforcement.

The threat posed by domestic terrorist groups has remained significant over the past several years.

Militia members often subscribe to the theory that the federal government is in a conspiracy with the United Nations that would result in the creation of a one-nation world government or new world order.

Acts committed by special interest terrorists present unique challenges to various law enforcement entities.

Recent trends indicate the potential for terrorists to expand their capabilities by utilizing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

No community is immune from the potential of a terrorist incident.

"Publicity is the oxygen of terrorism." -British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

Terrorism's success depends upon the amount of fear it creates.

"Because Americans have become the number one target of terrorism, the challenge of terrorism is especially urgent for the United States government." -Thomas P. Raynor

Hijackings of airplanes can be dated back as far as 1931.

Terrorists utilize the electronic media to achieve their purposes of intimidating the public and gaining support and sympathy for their actions and positions.

America ’s best defense against terrorism is intelligence, whether discussing immigration or port security.

America has always prided itself on the free flow of people, ideas and goods that comes in and goes out of this country. The challenge will be adding enough security to keep Americans safe without disturbing this flow.

LAX makes a significant contribution to the region’s economy, with a pre-Sept. 11 contribution of 400,000 jobs and $60 billion annually.

If you are one of the nearly 450 million Americans that use mass transit systems every year, security for these systems is a very large priority because of the concern of becoming a victim of a terrorist incident.

The safety of our country and the transportation sector is not only in the hands of city planners, transportation authorities, the Department of Homeland Security, police officers, or the President of the United States. It is in the hand of every American.