Gang Investigator's Handbook

Street gangs, prison gangs and biker gangs -- made up of every kind of criminal, from vandals and drug dealers to the most violent predators -- present an especially difficult problem for law enforcement. Gang Investigator's Handbook is a comprehensive guide to combating these dangerous groups, based on the successes of many of the best gang detectives in the field.

Written by an experienced gang investigator from a major metropolitan prosecutor's office, Gang Investigator's Handbook contains dozens of strategies and tips for identifying and suppressing gangs in any community. It provides comprehensive information on:

• typical characteristics of Hispanic, African-American, white, Asian, prison, biker and female gangs
• interpreting such common gang identifiers as tattoos, graffiti, hand signs and clothing
• conducting gang crime investigations, including making contacts with gangbangers on the streets, interviewing them in the field and in custody, and recruiting and managing informants
• implementing such enforcement tactics as daily patrol suppression, gang sweeps, wiretaps, narcotic operations and one of the most amazing tools in the law-enforcement arsenal: the gang injunction

The text is supported by more than 400 photos with detailed analysis of the gang activity they document, making Gang Investigator's Handbook invaluable not only to street cops, specialized gang units and prosecutors but also to criminal justice students, probation and parole agents, corrections officers, judges, counselors, civic leaders, journalists and ordinary citizens who want to learn how to reduce gang activity in their communities.