Gang Violence in New York City

In 2002, the National Youth Gang Center estimated that there were approximately 731,000 members of gangs in the United States. Gangs and gang-related violence was a problem on the increase in specifically New York City in the early 2000s. In the city in 2003, there were approximately 15,000 people in gangs, though only 3,600 were believed to be active, non-incarcerated gang members. There were a number of active gangs in New York City including the Bloods, the Crips, the Latin Kings, the Mexican Boys, and Los Pitufos (the Smurfs), among many others.

Murder rates, as well as that of other crimes in New York City, had generally fallen in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In central Harlem by 2005, the overall rate for crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, and burglary had dropped significantly over several years. The crime rate in this neighborhood was similar to the...