Gangs are a reality in most cities and neighborhoods. To a large extent, gangs thrive on membership – effectively meaning that they strive to recruit new members and ensure that those within the ‘family’ stay. Towards this end, gangs have been known to prey on various targets – including second-generation immigrants and high school/college students - in an attempt to soar their membership and protect certain interests. New York City has a rich history of gang activity. This text concerns itself with gang activity within New York City. In so doing, it will not only give a concise description of the origin of gang activity in the city, but also highlight key facts relating to gangs in the city.
Discussion

From the onset, it is important to note that today, gangs can be found in almost all five boroughs of the city. In seeking to chart gang activity in New York, it would be prudent to first give a brief history of gangs in the city. According to Asbury (2016), gangs in New York appear to have originated in the 19th century. Indeed, in the words of the author, “although the members of the gangs at the time were often youths, the actions of these gangs of New York had greater effect than just the areas they lived in” (Asbury, 2016, p. 97). As the author further points out, places like the Lower Manhattan had gang-infested streets. To a large extent, most street gangs in the city were categorized on an economic or ethnic basis. Although there were many popular street gangs that emerged in the...…Unity formation employs various strategies in an attempt to ensure that kids are kept away from gangs and gang-related activities. It is however important to note that in the past, various stakeholders have differed on the actual situation on the ground in as far as gang activity in New York is concerned. For instance, while Bill de Blasio – the City’s mayor – has in the past pointed out that one of the main threats to public safety in the city is gang activity, various organizations such as Brooklyn College’s Policing and Social Justice Project are adamant that the situation is not as bad as it is made to look, and that gang presence and activity in the city continues to be not only demonized, but also overstated by both the media and the police…