Violence in New Jersey:

The Impact of Gangs

Katherine Hempstead, Director

Office of Injury Surveillance and Prevention
Center for Health Statistics
November 3, 2006

Center for
Health Statistics
 Office of Injury Surveillance
and Prevention
z Analyzes and disseminates information on all
types of injuries
z Assists those engaged in injury prevention
activities throughout the state
z http://www.state.nj.us/health/chs/oisp/index.shtml

Center for
Health Statistics
 New Jersey Violent Death
Reporting System
z Surveillance project designed to provide
detailed information on homicides and
suicides
z Information disseminated to assist in violence
prevention efforts statewide

Center for
Health Statistics
 …in our country, the greatest threat to the
lives of children and adolescents is not
disease or starvation, but the terrible
reality of violence.”

Surgeon General David Satcher, 2002

Report on Youth Violence

Center for
Health Statistics
 Violence is a public health issue
z Interpersonal violence is a major cause of
injury and death to adolescents and young
adults

z Homicide is the second leading cause of

death for those aged 15-24 years

z In 2004, 120 homicides in this group, as

compared with @160 motor vehicle deaths
Center for
Health Statistics
 Age distribution of homicide victims:
2004 deaths

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
< 15 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-64 65+

Center for
Health Statistics
 Racial and ethnic distribution of
homicide victims: 2004 deaths

250

200

150

100

50

0
Black Hispanic White Asian

Center for
Health Statistics
 Long-term trends in homicide
z Between mid-1960s and 1980, homicide
rates rose sharply
z Rates declined during mid-1980s
z Began rising again, peaking in early 1990s
z Homicide declined sharply since early-1990s
z Since 2000, the number of homicides in New
Jersey has been increasing – trend is less
pronounced nationally
Center for
Health Statistics
 Homicides in New Jersey, 1992-2005

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Center for
Health Statistics
 Homicide Rate per 100000, New Jersey, 1992-2005

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Center for
Health Statistics
 Homicide trends
z After a period of declining homicides, we
have returned to the levels of the early 1990s
z The number of homicides has increased by
over 30 percent since 2000
z The homicide rate has increased over 25
percent since 2000
z Homicides are at their highest level since
1993

Center for
Health Statistics
 Homicides in New Jersey by age of victim, 2000-
2005
180

160

140

120

2000
100
2001
2003
80
2005

60

40

20

0
Under 10 10 - 19 20 - 29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+

Center for
Health Statistics
 Homicides have risen most among
young adults
Percent increase in homicides, 2000-2005
90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
15 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44

Center for
Health Statistics
 Are all kinds of homicides
increasing?

z Several major categories of homicide

z Family –
z Intimate Partner
z Child Abuse
z Committed during a felony -
z Other arguments/quarrel
z Drug-related/ gang-related
z circumstances unknown

Center for
Health Statistics
 Trend in homicides by type
z Family homicides have been declining
steadily over past several decades
z Homicides resulting from arguments, and
committed during felonies, have declined as
well - but stabilized since 2000
z Homicides with circumstances unknown,
drug-related or gang-related have risen

Center for
Health Statistics
 How do we measure gang
activity in New Jersey?

z Database on gang members

z Survey data on gang presence in New Jersey
municipalities
z Signs, symbols, grafitti and tattoos…

Center for
Health Statistics
 How do we measure impact of
gangs on violence?
z Difficult to measure
z Homicides can be classified according to
whether or not “gang-related”
z “gang-related” – can be divided into:
z “gang-motivated” versus “gang member”
z but often – no information is available
z Non-fatal injuries – even less information

Center for
Health Statistics
 Current sources of information
on homicide circumstances
z Police reports
z UCR/SHR
z Medical Examiner’s report
z Death certificate
z Newspaper articles

Center for
Health Statistics
 Using these sources – explicit
mention of gang- or drug-relatedness

60
53 52
50

40 37

30

20

10

0
2003 2004 2005

Center for
Health Statistics
 Clearly this is an understatement
There are types of homicides we associate
with gang activity:
z Young male victim
z Weapon used – usually firearm
z Attack occurs in public place
z Multiple victims and/or multiple suspects
z No other known cause

Center for
Health Statistics
 Broader definition: “gang*”
z (Circumstance associated with gang violence
z i.e. gang-related, drug-related, bystander
z And…
z No circumstance not consistent with gang)
z Or…
z No circumstances known
z And for all: Suspect is not relative or intimate
of victim
Center for
Health Statistics
 About 40% of homicides in
2003-2004 fit this definition

800 786
700
600
500
407 Total
400 379
310 Gang*
300
200 175
135
100
0
2003 2004 Total

Center for
Health Statistics
 Over 70% of these homicides
occurred in 8 cities
Newark 94
Camden 48
Irvington 19
Paterson 14
Trenton 13
East Orange 13
Elizabeth 11
Jersey City 10
Total 222
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
Center for
Health Statistics
 Racial and ethnic characteristics
of gang* homicides, 2003-2004
80
70
60
50
40
8 Big cities
30
Elsewhere
20
10
0
% Black % % White
Hispanic

Center for
Health Statistics
 Weapons used in gang*
homicides, 2003-2004
90
80
70
60
50
8 Big cities
40
Elsewhere
30
20
10
0
% Guns % Knives

Center for
Health Statistics
 Prevention

z We often hear about the “epidemic” of

violence

z We also often hear: “Violence is not a

disease. It is a learned behavior. Therefore it
is preventable.”

Center for
Health Statistics
 Types of prevention strategies
- public health approach
z Primary – general population
z Secondary – at-risk groups
z Tertiary - those with the condition

To develop prevention strategies, need to

think about causes of problem, identify
groups to target

Center for
Health Statistics
 Why is gang activity
increasing now? One theory:

1. Explosion in youth violence:

• Youth violence/delinquency has been rising
• steadily since 1980s – didn’t decline like other crime
indicators - continuation in trend
• Cohort theory of boom in youth violence –
“super-predators” have arrived

Center for
Health Statistics
 National data suggests juvenile
homicide offense rates have not
increased since 2000

Center for
Health Statistics
 New Jersey, 2005 (UCR)
z 6 % of cleared homicides were juvenile
offenders
z Most frequent offender and victim group:
z 25-29 year old males
z Current increase in violence is not exclusively
a youth problem
z Majority of criminals and victims are adults

Center for
Health Statistics
 Implication for prevention:
z Can’t target all efforts at youth
z Most people committing violent offenses are
not adolescents
z They are not affected by programs in
schools, parent education…..
z Fewer prevention options with adults

Center for
Health Statistics
 However, gang membership is
growing…
z Gang membership is a significant and
positive determinant of violence
z Even controlling for family and community
characteristics, and delinquency of peers
z Several longitudinal studies have established this
z So deterring gang membership is an
important step in violence prevention

Center for
Health Statistics
 Why do youths join gangs?
z Community
z Family
z Individual
z In particular:
z Attachment to delinquent peers
z Low attachment to family and school
z “Street socialization”

Center for
Health Statistics
 Gangs and delinquency
z Delinquency precedes gang membership
z But usually increases after joining
z Gangs have an independent effect on
criminal behavior
z But those who join gangs are not randomly
selected

Center for
Health Statistics
 Primary prevention
z Schools are a major site,
z G.R.E.A.T. (AZ), other examples
z Parent education
z Community programs
z After-school programs, etc.

z Evaluations of these kinds of programs show

modest success….could have long term
effects….difficult to measure
Center for
Health Statistics
 In New Jersey: Community
Partnerships for Healthy Adolescents
Grants from Division of Family Health Services, NJDHSS
Gang awareness, bullying prevention, anger
management, peer-to-peer conflict mediation
z Bergen Family Center
z Sussex County Gang Awareness Task Force
z Montclair School District
z Perth Amboy
z Many similar programs funded by DHS, DOE,
etc…
Center for
Health Statistics
 Secondary prevention
z Programs that target those identified as being
at especially high risk
z Ex: BGCA – provides case management,
special training, increased alternative
activities
z Ex: Early intervention programs that identify
disruptive boys in elementary schools, visiting
nurses….
z Good results for some…but expensive!
Center for
Health Statistics
 Tertiary prevention
z Targets those already involved in gangs
z Larger role played by law enforcement
z Early example, “Operation Hammer” – L.A.
z More recent example, “Operation Ceasefire”
z Community involvement important to
successful efforts
z D.O.C. program good example of tertiary
prevention – targets gang leaders in custody
Center for
Health Statistics
 Prevention efforts must be
system-wide
z Primary, Secondary, Tertiary all important
z Must target individuals but also macro-level
factors
z No easy solutions

Center for
Health Statistics
 Reducing gun violence
z Important role of firearms in recent increase
in homicide has been shown
z Major problem - illegal guns
z Reducing proliferation of illegal handguns is
important component to reducing fatalities
and serious injuries
z Reducing trafficking and/or getting guns off
street

Center for
Health Statistics
 Reducing inflow of illegal guns
z New Jersey has relatively strict gun control laws
z Most guns used in crimes in NJ come from out of
state, where gun laws are looser
z Jersey City – “One gun a month” purchase law
z JHU gun violence center - ideas for local and state
law enforcement to use to combat gun trafficking:
z http://www.jhsph.edu/gunpolicy/How%20Cities%20Can%20Combat
%20Illegal%20Guns.pdf

Center for
Health Statistics
 Getting illegal guns off the
streets
z Buy-back program – Jersey City, other
jurisdictions – generally modest results

z “Consent to search” – St. Louis – parent

could consent to search home for guns
owned by juveniles, no prosecution on gun
charges.

Center for
Health Statistics
 Conclusion: Reducing gang
violence
z Problem is not limited to youth
z Violence emerges from complex community,
family, and individual, factors – requires a
multi-disciplinary approach
z Successful prevention starts early in life
z Primary prevention must be coupled with
other types
z Reducing supply of illegal guns is important
component of violence reduction effort
Center for
Health Statistics