Some of these international  gangs can be linked to gangs in the United States. 1). At the headquarters level, DOJ and FBI have  established several coordinating entities to share information on gang- related investigations and intelligence across agency boundaries. Collaborating agencies should  work together to define and agree on their respective roles and  responsibilities and can use a number of possible mechanisms, such as  memoranda of understanding, to clarify who will do what, organize joint  and individual efforts, and facilitate information sharing. Use of these investigative tools and equipment  allow state and local agencies to work with federal agencies in conducting  investigations that target gangs as criminal enterprises, types of cases  which state and local agencies would generally not be able to conduct in  the absence of federal resources and assistance. Lack of a Shared Definition for Gangs Hinders Measurement of Gang Crime Enforcement across Federal Departments and Agencies

Gangs vary in size, ethnic composition, membership, and organizational  structure, which makes it challenging to develop a uniform definition of  “gang.” Federal law enforcement agencies have developed and used  different working definitions of a “gang” and other associated terms, such  as “gang-related.” However, these agencies lack a common or shared  definition for “gang” and related terms, hindering federal agencies’ efforts  to accurately measure and report on gangs, gang crime, and enforcement  activities. Agency  officials said lack of a common definition did not adversely affect law  enforcement activity. Performance measures help federal  agencies to assess progress made on anti-gang efforts over time and  provide decision makers with key data to facilitate the resource allocation  process. Among other gang-related measures, ATF also reports the number of gang- related convictions by fiscal year. Third, attorneys, historically, have not viewed data entry as a  priority, so they have not always been diligent about being sure that it is  done correctly. Given that USAOs  have not consistently and accurately entered data on gang-related cases  into their case and time management systems as required by EOUSA’s  2006 guidance, in the absence of periodic monitoring of USAOs’ gang- related data, EOUSA cannot be certain that USAOs have followed the  guidance and accurately recorded gang-related data. Grant programs for which DOJ-sponsored evaluations were  completed reported mixed results for achieving reductions in gang crime  with benefits for grant recipients but little evidence that the programs  effectively reduced youth gang crime. DOJ Has Supported Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Enforcement Programs through Grant Programs That Emphasize Coordination and Collaboration

DOJ, the department with responsibility for administering anti-gang grants,  has pursued a strategy to assist communities in combating gang crime that  involves not only law enforcement efforts, but also efforts to prevent  young people from joining gangs, intervene and provide alternatives to  gang membership for youth who are gang-affiliated, and offer support  through re-entry activities for former gang members who are released  from prison and returning to their communities. OJJDP Grants Tested a Communitywide Gang Program Model

DOJ has provided grant funding to localities across the nation under the  Gang-Free Schools and Communities Program, Gang Reduction Program,  and the Gang Prevention Coordination Assistance Program primarily to  test models for communities to follow in implementing approaches for  addressing gang problems. Federal agencies have taken positive actions to coordinate their anti-gang  programs and initiatives and share information about gang threats and  multijurisdictional investigations. Recommendations for Executive Action

To strengthen federal agencies’ coordination of anti-gang efforts; help  reduce gaps or unnecessary overlaps in federal entities’ roles and  responsibilities; and assist the department, Congress, and other  stakeholders in assessing federal gang enforcement efforts, we  recommend that the Attorney General take the following three actions:    direct DOJ law enforcement agencies that lead or participate in the  headquarters-level anti-gang coordination entities—including GangTECC,  NGIC, the Anti-Gang Coordination Committee, and the MS-13 National  Gang Task Force—to, in consultation with DHS, reexamine and reach  consensus on the entities’ roles and responsibilities, including identifying  and addressing gaps and unnecessary overlaps;    develop a departmentwide, strategic-level performance measure for the  department’s anti-gang efforts; and    direct EOUSA to periodically review gang-related case information  entered by USAOs into the case and time management systems to ensure  more accurate and complete reporting of USAOs’ gang-related cases. Appendix IV: Scope and Methodology

To examine the roles of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department  of Homeland Security (DHS) in gang enforcement efforts and the extent to  which the efforts are coordinated with each other and state and local  partners, we reviewed federal agencies’ strategies and plans to combat  gang crime and interviewed headquarters DOJ and DHS officials involved  in gang crime enforcement activities. Other criteria considered in selecting these localities included the location  of the USAO and federal law enforcement agency field offices, the  presence of federally led task forces to combat gang crime, and  recommendations of officials of DOJ and DHS components during our  preliminary interviews. We compared DOJ and DHS efforts to measure the results of their  gang enforcement efforts to our prior work on effective interagency  collaboration and results oriented government.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that the United States has about a million gang members. While state and local agencies have primary responsibility for combating gang crime, the federal government has key roles to enforce laws and help fund programs to provide alternatives to gang membership for at-risk youth. GAO was asked to examine federal efforts to combat gang crime. This report addresses (1) the roles of DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in combating gang crime and the extent to which DOJ and DHS agencies coordinate their efforts with each other and state and local agencies; (2) the extent to which DOJ and DHS measure their gang enforcement efforts; and (3) how federal grant funding is used to administer or support activities to reduce gang-related crime. GAO reviewed federal agencies' plans, resources, and measures and interviewed federal, state, and local officials in 15 localities with federally led anti-gang task forces representing varying population sizes and locations.

What GAO Found

Various DOJ and DHS components have taken distinct roles in combating gang crime, and at the headquarters level, DOJ has established several entities to share information on gang-related investigations across agencies. However, some of these entities have not differentiated roles and responsibilities. For example, two entities have overlapping responsibilities for coordinating the federal response to the same gang threat. Prior GAO work found that overlap among programs can waste funds and limit effectiveness, and that agencies should work together to define and agree on their respective roles and facilitate information sharing. At the field division level, federal agencies have established strategies to help coordinate anti-gang efforts including federally led task forces. Officials GAO interviewed were generally satisfied with the task force structure for leveraging resources and taking advantage of contributions from all participating agencies. Federal agencies have taken actions to measure the results of their gang enforcement efforts, but these efforts have been hindered by three factors. Among other measures, one agency tracks the number of investigations that disrupted or shut down criminal gangs, while another agency tracks its gang-related convictions. However, agencies' efforts to measure results of federal actions to combat gang crime have been hampered by lack of a shared definition of "gang" among agencies, underreporting of information by United States Attorneys Offices (USAOs), and the lack of departmentwide DOJ performance measures for anti-gang efforts. Definitions of "gang" vary in terms of number of members, time or type of offenses, and other characteristics. According to DOJ officials, lack of a shared definition of "gang" complicates data collection and evaluation efforts across federal agencies, but does not adversely affect law enforcement activity. DOJ officials stated that USAOs have underreported gang-related cases and work, in part because attorneys historically have not viewed data collection as a priority. In the absence of periodic monitoring of USAO's gang-related case information, DOJ cannot be certain that USAOs have accurately recorded gang-related data. Further, DOJ lacks performance measures that would help agencies to assess progress made over time on anti-gang efforts and provide decision makers with key data to facilitate resource allocation. DOJ administers several grant programs to assist communities to address gang problems; however, initiatives funded through some of these programs have had mixed results. A series of grant programs funded from the 1980s to 2009 to test a comprehensive communitywide model are nearing completion. Evaluations found little evidence that these programs reduced youth gang crime. DOJ does not plan to fund future grants testing this model; rather, DOJ plans to provide technical assistance to communities implementing anti-gang programs without federal funding. DOJ also awarded grants to 12 communities during fiscal years 2006 to 2008 under another anti-gang initiative. The first evaluations of this initiative are due in late 2009, and no additional grants will be funded pending the evaluation results.