Gang Prosecution: The Need for Qualifying Law Enforcement Officers As Expert Witnesses‪.‬

Case scenario: A 15-year-old is fatally stabbed as he walks home from school. The stabbing occurs just off school property. Police announce they are looking into the possibility that the killing was gang related. Friends and family of the victim deny he had any gang affiliation. The high school principal tells reporters that gangs are not a problem at the school. A newspaper editorial calls upon elected officials to do more. Elected officials denied the gang problem. The same officials were then forced by media and public out-cry to make pronouncements addressing actions they would take to address a problem they publicly stated did not exist. THIS CASE IS NOT UNUSUAL. It is often difficult for jurisdictions to admit they have a gang problem, but the first step in addressing gang activity is to admit that the problem exists. The 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment states that all jurisdictions over the population of 250,000 experience gang problems. The jurisdiction where the above case scenario occurred has in excess of 500,000 residents.