Gangs of New Hampshire- From the Nashua (NH) Telegraph
Gang experts note growing presence
By STEPHANIE HOOPER and ANDREW WOLFE,
Published: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005
Gangs of NH
For a complete archive of this series go here.
Many people don’t want to recognize that gangs are a growing problem in the state.
Actually, they’re everywhere, including the Nashua area, said Capt. Steve Church, a gang specialist at the Rockingham County House of Corrections.
Still, for some people, the notion of big-time gangs operating in the state is one that’s just too hard to believe.
New Hampshire: White Mountains, maple syrup and street gangs?“If you live in N.H., you can not belong to a gang. It just can’t happen,” one writer commented in an online discussion on the topic of “Gangs of NH” at www.ubersite.com.
While some are in denial of the problem, local gang experts see the reality.
Church is the vice president of the recently formed New England chapter of the East Coast Gang Investigators Association. He’s been making it a point to focus on gang activity in the state since 1998, when gangs started to become an issue at the Brentwood jail facility.
“What’s going on in the streets directly affects what’s going on inside,” he said, explaining that when gang members have conflicts on the street, it raises tension among their comrades in the jail.
While refraining from saying New Hampshire has a gang “problem,” Church was quick to say the state is experiencing an increase in gang activity.“It is happening,” he said. “I fully expect the issues to continue to increase.”
Increased gang activity
Local officials such as Church aren’t the only people making the claim, either.“Gang activity in New Hampshire appears to have picked up in the last couple of years,” said Wes Daily Jr., a retired Suffolk County, N.Y., police detective and president of the East Coast Gang Investigators Association.
Along with extensive work investigating gangs during his time as a Long Island police detective, Daily has studied gang activity in the Northeast for a number of years, authoring two assessments of gang activity in the region in the last five years.
In his most recent report, published this year for the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, Daily states a majority of the national gangs in the Northeast appear to be “neighborhood-based” chapters without affiliations to national gang leaderships. He notes two national gangs, the Bloods and Latin Kings, appear to have a “strong presence” in the Northeast.
Northeast law-enforcement agencies reported nearly a 40 percent increase in gang activity in the last five years, according to Daily’s assessment. Several state agencies are among the 51 in the Northeast to contribute information for the assessment.
Both of Daily’s assessments reported gang members were moving to the region from other states.In his first assessment, published in 2000 for the association, Daily listed a variety of Mexico-, Dominican Republic-, Chicago- and California-based gangs, among those that appeared to be relocating to the state from other parts of the country.
In his 2005 report, Daily credits the Northeastern states’ increasing population of undocumented immigrants with an increase in gangs from Mexico and Central America.
Cross-boarder activity
All of the New England states were experiencing an influx of Hispanic gang members from the New York City area, according to the 2000 report.That assessment certainly appeared to be the case in Nashua in 2003 and 2004, when Hispanic gang members with roots in the Big Apple caused serious trouble. But not all of the state’s gang activity is imported or has traveled far to get here.
An examination of major gang investigations in northern Massachusetts during the last five years revealed a number of New Hampshire connections – Massachusetts residents conducting drug and weapons sales in New Hampshire, and New Hampshire residents engaging in criminal gang-related activity south of the border.
Massachusetts members from organized national gangs such as MS-13, Bloods, Crips and Asian gangs such as the Tiny Rascals and Sworn Brothers were also involved with a few publicized incidents in the state in the last two years.Two of those incidents – one in Wilton and one in Nashua – were violent and involved numerous members from two sets of rival gangs, or four gangs in all. Someone was stabbed in each incident.
Police are not always convinced of gang connections. For instance, in an August assault in Manchester, several teens claiming to be members of the Latin Kings hit a 41-year-old man in the head with a baseball bat.
Manchester police defined members of the group as “wannabe” gang members. They have since maintained no one charged in the attack was affiliated with any organized gang.
Yet the “wannabe” term is one that seems to get thrown around by some police officials whenever suspected gang activity crops up in the state. According to Church, there is no such thing.“We never use the term ‘wannabe,’ ” said Church, explaining that kids who are emulating gang behavior, dress or symbols are already signaling an interest in the gang lifestyle, which puts them on “the cliff’s edge.”
If anything, those younger gang members are often the most dangerous, he said, as the gang culture demands they prove themselves with acts of violence.
No ‘posers’
Many of the kids Church sees are not “posers,” teens who act the part without really being affiliated with a gang.
In the last 10 years, Church said he has seen an increase in membership of the largest, nationally established groups: Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples and various Asian gangs. All are active in the state, he said.
At the jail, gang members will often announce their affiliations on arrival, often asking for Church by name, mainly because of the presence of other gangs there.They aren’t just claiming membership and wearing the trappings of national gangs, either. Many are familiar with a gang’s teachings, as well.
“We’re seeing people calling themselves Gangsta Disciples, and they have the knowledge to back it up,” Church said.Church defined a gang as three or more people who use the same means to identify themselves as a group and are involved in criminal activities.“That’s the catch,” Church said. It’s not a crime to be a part of a group.
Being involved in a gang is one facet of taking up a life of crime, Church said. It’s a whole different culture, almost a mirror image or flip side of the “straight” world.“We would no more sell drugs on the street corner or rob somebody at an ATM than they would work an honest job,” Church said.New England’s street gangs focus on drug dealing, though members may commit various crimes on their own, he said.Gangs forming in southern New Hampshire are usually a mix of local kids and transplants, he said.
Tough on crime
Although the membership of national street gangs is still at a lower level in New Hampshire than in Massachusetts, the state needs to be active in order to prevent such organized gangs from eventually gaining a strong foothold, Church said.
Noting the establishment of national outlaw motorcycle gangs in the state, Church said, “What makes you think that won’t happen with street gangs?”
The state’s stiffer sentencing helps the effort – passing forged prescriptions, possessing a small amount of drugs and other such crimes will often bring jail time, even on a first offense. In Massachusetts, a person could get caught repeatedly without spending more than a few days in jail.“What do we hear from every single Massachusetts inmate? ‘I can’t believe I’m in jail for this,’ ” Church said.“The state’s generally got a reputation for being tough on crime. That’s a good reputation to have.“You get punished for a crime in New Hampshire, which is a positive thing. We hear it every day from inmates from Massachusetts. We love it. We love to hear it.”
Unlike some Massachusetts communities, though, New Hampshire’s towns are smaller and light on resources. Even Manchester and Nashua police departments don’t have dedicated gang units, so it’s important for law-enforcement officers to share what they learn about gangs, Church said.
When a gang member from Lowell, Mass., turns up at the jail, for instance, it’s useful to call the Lowell police and find out what they know about the person, Church said.“That’s the key, information sharing and networking,” he said. “We can all learn from each other.”
The Associated Press also contributed to this report. Andrew Wolfe can be reached at 594-6410 or wolfea@telegraph-nh.com. Stephanie Hooper can be reached at 594-6413 or hoopers@telegraph-nh.com.
By STEPHANIE HOOPER and ANDREW WOLFE,
Published: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005
Gangs of NH
For a complete archive of this series go here.
Many people don’t want to recognize that gangs are a growing problem in the state.
Actually, they’re everywhere, including the Nashua area, said Capt. Steve Church, a gang specialist at the Rockingham County House of Corrections.
Still, for some people, the notion of big-time gangs operating in the state is one that’s just too hard to believe.
New Hampshire: White Mountains, maple syrup and street gangs?“If you live in N.H., you can not belong to a gang. It just can’t happen,” one writer commented in an online discussion on the topic of “Gangs of NH” at www.ubersite.com.
While some are in denial of the problem, local gang experts see the reality.
Church is the vice president of the recently formed New England chapter of the East Coast Gang Investigators Association. He’s been making it a point to focus on gang activity in the state since 1998, when gangs started to become an issue at the Brentwood jail facility.
“What’s going on in the streets directly affects what’s going on inside,” he said, explaining that when gang members have conflicts on the street, it raises tension among their comrades in the jail.
While refraining from saying New Hampshire has a gang “problem,” Church was quick to say the state is experiencing an increase in gang activity.“It is happening,” he said. “I fully expect the issues to continue to increase.”
Increased gang activity
Local officials such as Church aren’t the only people making the claim, either.“Gang activity in New Hampshire appears to have picked up in the last couple of years,” said Wes Daily Jr., a retired Suffolk County, N.Y., police detective and president of the East Coast Gang Investigators Association.
Along with extensive work investigating gangs during his time as a Long Island police detective, Daily has studied gang activity in the Northeast for a number of years, authoring two assessments of gang activity in the region in the last five years.
In his most recent report, published this year for the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, Daily states a majority of the national gangs in the Northeast appear to be “neighborhood-based” chapters without affiliations to national gang leaderships. He notes two national gangs, the Bloods and Latin Kings, appear to have a “strong presence” in the Northeast.
Northeast law-enforcement agencies reported nearly a 40 percent increase in gang activity in the last five years, according to Daily’s assessment. Several state agencies are among the 51 in the Northeast to contribute information for the assessment.
Both of Daily’s assessments reported gang members were moving to the region from other states.In his first assessment, published in 2000 for the association, Daily listed a variety of Mexico-, Dominican Republic-, Chicago- and California-based gangs, among those that appeared to be relocating to the state from other parts of the country.
In his 2005 report, Daily credits the Northeastern states’ increasing population of undocumented immigrants with an increase in gangs from Mexico and Central America.
Cross-boarder activity
All of the New England states were experiencing an influx of Hispanic gang members from the New York City area, according to the 2000 report.That assessment certainly appeared to be the case in Nashua in 2003 and 2004, when Hispanic gang members with roots in the Big Apple caused serious trouble. But not all of the state’s gang activity is imported or has traveled far to get here.
An examination of major gang investigations in northern Massachusetts during the last five years revealed a number of New Hampshire connections – Massachusetts residents conducting drug and weapons sales in New Hampshire, and New Hampshire residents engaging in criminal gang-related activity south of the border.
Massachusetts members from organized national gangs such as MS-13, Bloods, Crips and Asian gangs such as the Tiny Rascals and Sworn Brothers were also involved with a few publicized incidents in the state in the last two years.Two of those incidents – one in Wilton and one in Nashua – were violent and involved numerous members from two sets of rival gangs, or four gangs in all. Someone was stabbed in each incident.
Police are not always convinced of gang connections. For instance, in an August assault in Manchester, several teens claiming to be members of the Latin Kings hit a 41-year-old man in the head with a baseball bat.
Manchester police defined members of the group as “wannabe” gang members. They have since maintained no one charged in the attack was affiliated with any organized gang.
Yet the “wannabe” term is one that seems to get thrown around by some police officials whenever suspected gang activity crops up in the state. According to Church, there is no such thing.“We never use the term ‘wannabe,’ ” said Church, explaining that kids who are emulating gang behavior, dress or symbols are already signaling an interest in the gang lifestyle, which puts them on “the cliff’s edge.”
If anything, those younger gang members are often the most dangerous, he said, as the gang culture demands they prove themselves with acts of violence.
No ‘posers’
Many of the kids Church sees are not “posers,” teens who act the part without really being affiliated with a gang.
In the last 10 years, Church said he has seen an increase in membership of the largest, nationally established groups: Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples and various Asian gangs. All are active in the state, he said.
At the jail, gang members will often announce their affiliations on arrival, often asking for Church by name, mainly because of the presence of other gangs there.They aren’t just claiming membership and wearing the trappings of national gangs, either. Many are familiar with a gang’s teachings, as well.
“We’re seeing people calling themselves Gangsta Disciples, and they have the knowledge to back it up,” Church said.Church defined a gang as three or more people who use the same means to identify themselves as a group and are involved in criminal activities.“That’s the catch,” Church said. It’s not a crime to be a part of a group.
Being involved in a gang is one facet of taking up a life of crime, Church said. It’s a whole different culture, almost a mirror image or flip side of the “straight” world.“We would no more sell drugs on the street corner or rob somebody at an ATM than they would work an honest job,” Church said.New England’s street gangs focus on drug dealing, though members may commit various crimes on their own, he said.Gangs forming in southern New Hampshire are usually a mix of local kids and transplants, he said.
Tough on crime
Although the membership of national street gangs is still at a lower level in New Hampshire than in Massachusetts, the state needs to be active in order to prevent such organized gangs from eventually gaining a strong foothold, Church said.
Noting the establishment of national outlaw motorcycle gangs in the state, Church said, “What makes you think that won’t happen with street gangs?”
The state’s stiffer sentencing helps the effort – passing forged prescriptions, possessing a small amount of drugs and other such crimes will often bring jail time, even on a first offense. In Massachusetts, a person could get caught repeatedly without spending more than a few days in jail.“What do we hear from every single Massachusetts inmate? ‘I can’t believe I’m in jail for this,’ ” Church said.“The state’s generally got a reputation for being tough on crime. That’s a good reputation to have.“You get punished for a crime in New Hampshire, which is a positive thing. We hear it every day from inmates from Massachusetts. We love it. We love to hear it.”
Unlike some Massachusetts communities, though, New Hampshire’s towns are smaller and light on resources. Even Manchester and Nashua police departments don’t have dedicated gang units, so it’s important for law-enforcement officers to share what they learn about gangs, Church said.
When a gang member from Lowell, Mass., turns up at the jail, for instance, it’s useful to call the Lowell police and find out what they know about the person, Church said.“That’s the key, information sharing and networking,” he said. “We can all learn from each other.”
The Associated Press also contributed to this report. Andrew Wolfe can be reached at 594-6410 or wolfea@telegraph-nh.com. Stephanie Hooper can be reached at 594-6413 or hoopers@telegraph-nh.com.
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