CrimLaw

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Does Roanoke have gangs or not? It probably depends on how you define a gang. If it's a group who hang around in a particular neighborhood and has members who regularly break the law - Yes. If are looking for an organization "which has as one of its primary objectives or activities the commission of one or more predicate criminal acts" and/or a heirarchy wherein there is a boss controlling the acts of others - probably not.

Some places will call any group of kids that hang around in a neighborhood a gang. Others are very proud of the fact that there aren't any gangs in their city. I was in a city last week talking to an officer who took the Roanoke position; he told me that the city didn't have any gangs, all it had were groups of neighborhood kids who hang around and caused trouble.

I think Kilgore's program will be badly needed in some areas but I also think it will probably cause places that are looking for funds to classify a lot of kids who are hanging around as gangsters.

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