The search for gang numbers remains an inexact science. It has been estimated that London has at least 50,000 gang members Malcolm Klein (1995) asserts that nearly 800 towns and cities in U.K. have gangs. In London, street gangs thrive in 15 areas, with over 200 gangs. Orvis (1996) calculates that there are more than 100,000 youth gangs with a combined membership of over 1,000,000 juveniles and adults in the United Kingdom. Studies suggest a statistical profile that reflects actual numbers reported by survey respondents. Bear in mind that the nation's gang crime problem is underestimated because many cities do not have the capacity to compile statistics and to report on gang-crime activity.
A research yields a total of 8,625 gangs with 378,807 members and a total of 437,066 gang-related crimes. Malcolm Klein (1999) also emphasizes the precipitous increase in gang-involved cities from 54 cities in 1961 up to 766 cities in 1999 that reported gangs, a multiplier effect of 14 times the original number of gangs over a thirty-year period.
What has struck researchers of late is the rapidly increasing numbers of gangs in settings other than urban areas. Specifically, in suburban, small town, and even remote rural areas, such as Indian reservations, gang activity has been found. Gangs have been initiated by youth who have never been exposed to urban environments. Instead, they draw upon other sources, such as "pop" music, movies, advertisements, or other media coverage of the gang phenomenon (M. Klein 1999).
A research yields a total of 8,625 gangs with 378,807 members and a total of 437,066 gang-related crimes. Malcolm Klein (1999) also emphasizes the precipitous increase in gang-involved cities from 54 cities in 1961 up to 766 cities in 1999 that reported gangs, a multiplier effect of 14 times the original number of gangs over a thirty-year period.
What has struck researchers of late is the rapidly increasing numbers of gangs in settings other than urban areas. Specifically, in suburban, small town, and even remote rural areas, such as Indian reservations, gang activity has been found. Gangs have been initiated by youth who have never been exposed to urban environments. Instead, they draw upon other sources, such as "pop" music, movies, advertisements, or other media coverage of the gang phenomenon (M. Klein 1999).
