Because of their geographic and demographic expansion, involvement in crime (e.g., firearm transactions, gun violence, drug sales and use, burglaries, car thefts, and murder), as well as the psychological and social damage they can cause, gangs can have a significant impact on a community’s quality of life. Traditional police attempts at gang reduction and elimination (e.g., suppression tactics such as arrests) alone have not resolved the gang dilemma. Under the community policing model, the police and the community collaborate to adopt strategies and develop tailored responses to the gang problem. Forging such police-community partnerships can be difficult, but they are integral to the community policing approach of understanding the gang problem.

This entry discusses the coordinated, multifaceted community policing approach that has demonstrated successes with gangs. ...