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		Youth gangs have been in existence for decades. Although the gangs of yesterday are in many ways similar to gangs today, they are vastly different in size, geographic areas of activity, sophistication of weapons and frequency and severity of criminal offenses. The California Department of Justice defines gangs as "any ongoing organization, association or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of one or more...criminal acts." These crimes can include homicide, assault, drug sales, robbery and intimidation. Gangs today are much more heavily armed than they were in the past. Gang members have traded in their knives and brass knuckles for handguns, shotguns and rifles. The most destructive of the new gang weapons are semi- and fully automatic machine guns including Uzis, AK-47s and Mac-10s. Many of these high-powered weapons fire armor-piercing bullets, which are designed to penetrate police-issued bullet-proof vests. Often young wannabes or associate gang members get their first exposure to gang culture through the media. Gangsta Rap lyrics, music videos and action movies tend to glamorize the "gangbanger" lifestyle. From gold chains to souped-up cars, material wealth - not usually available to adolescents - becomes the "holy grail" for gonnabe gang members. L-R: Danny "L.D." Gregurich, Derek "D-Mac" Barnstable, Shane "Quick" Gray Once a kid joins a gang, he or she is told there is no way out. Members fear serious reprisals from fellow gang members if a defection is suspected. Gangs provide their members and their members' families with protection from other gangs, as well as any other perceived threats. When one thinks of gangs, the groups that traditionally come to mind are the Crips and the Bloods from California. Gang members, however, are not all Black or Latino. One of the largest street gangs in the Little Rock, Arkansas area is predominantly white. There are also many white teens who are joining hate groups and various other groups who promote racial disharmony. (See the Forgotten Fires Web site for more on hate groups.) All-female gangs, ferocious as any of the male gangs, are also on the rise. A 1995 law enforcement survey conducted by the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) indicates that there are more than 23,300 youth gangs in the United States composed of nearly 665,000 members - more than the entire population of Washington, D.C. A study recently conducted by the California Department of Justice projects that by the year 2000 there could be as many as 250,000 - one quarter of one million - gang members in the state of California alone. Home | The Story | Gangs | The Filmmaker | Resources | Comments | ITVS