2015 COPS Anti-Gang Initiative

 Fact Sheet

The FY 2015 COPS Anti-Gang Initiative (CAGI) is 

designed to advance public safety by providing funds to 

address gang activity. CAGI provides funds directly to 

law enforcement agencies with a multijurisdictional partnership composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to address gang activity. Primary consideration was given to agencies that target gangs of national 

significance. For FY 2015, the COPS Office awarded 

nearly $6 million in CAGI grant funds to nine lead law 

enforcement agencies on multijurisdictional task forces. 

Each grant is two years (24 months) in duration with no 

local match. In addition, each grant award was limited to 

no more than $750,000.

Background 

Gangs have been a persistent problem for federal, state, 

and local law enforcement agencies for decades. While 

gangs and gang activity have long been associated with 

urban areas, particularly blighted inner-city areas, law 

enforcement experience and scholarly research reveal 

that gang activity also plagues suburban and rural areas. 

As indicated in the 2012 National Youth Gang Survey, 

30 percent of law enforcement agencies responding to the 

survey reported gang activity in in 2012. The size, level of 

organization, sophistication, and territorial reach of gangs 

varies widely. Gangs range from small cliques whose 

territory may be restricted areas as small as a street block 

or corner and who engage in troublesome behavior such 

as graffiti or vandalism to national or transnational gangs 

believed to be responsible widespread drug marketing and 

human trafficking. Larger and more organized gangs present challenges to local law enforcement jurisdictions 

because criminally active members operate across jurisdictions engaging in criminal activities that have a regional impact, including drug distribution, prostitution, human 

trafficking, and alien smuggling. Regional anti-gang task 

forces composed of local, state, and federal law enforcement members are needed to leverage the tactical coordination, data sharing, and intelligence sharing necessary to 

support multijurisdictional prevention, intervention, and 

enforcement strategies.1

1. National Gang Center. National Youth Gang Survey Analysis, accessed April 13, 

2015, http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Survey-Analysis.

Funding Provisions

For FY 2015, the COPS Office awarded nearly $6 million in CAGI grant funds to nine (9) lead law enforcement 

agencies on multijurisdictional task forces to address gang 

activity.

Provisions include the following:

 Funds awarded in this program must be used to support 

regional anti-gang task forces focusing on enforcement, 

prevention/education, and intervention of gang activity.

 CAGI funds lead law enforcement agencies that participate in multijurisdictional task forces made up of 

federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships. 

 CAGI funding is not intended for the prosecution of 

gang-related activities. 

Contact the COPS Office

For more information about the COPS Anti-Gang 

Initiative, please call the COPS Office Response Center 

at 800-421-6770 or visit the COPS Office online at 

www.cops.usdoj.gov.

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

www.cops.usdoj.gov
2

2015 COPS Anti-Gang Initiative

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

The following resources discuss various efforts to address the problem of gangs:

Strategies to Address Gang Crime: A Guidebook 

for Local Law Enforcement

Author Scott H. Decker, PhD, provides information about developing and 

enhancing local law enforcement responses to gangs in their jurisdictions. 

The focus of the guidebook is on the use of problem-solving strategies to help 

agencies select the interventions most appropriate for their jurisdictions. 

In particular, the guidebook describes the SARA model (scanning, analysis, 

response, and assessment), a strategic problem-solving process with which local 

law enforcement is familiar and which it can apply to its local gang problem. 

http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P142

Solutions to Address Gang Crime CD-ROM

The Solutions to Address Gang Crime CD-ROM includes resources related to law 

enforcement responses for addressing gang activity, gang activity in specific 

populations, criminal behavior of gangs, and statistics and research on gangs. 

http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-CD008

The Stop Snitching Phenomenon: 

Breaking the Code of Silence 

The threatening nature of the stop snitching message intimidates witnesses and 

erodes trust between communities and police by undermining police efforts to 

involve communities in preventing and combating crime. This also threatens 

police agencies’ own ability to prevent and solve crime because it impedes 

investigations, arrests, and convictions, and could severely erode the criminal 

justice system. This report addresses the problem and includes case studies 

documenting successful law enforcement and community approaches that have 

been implemented.

http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P158

Stop and Frisk: Balancing Crime Control 

with Community Relations

This publication discusses the constitutionality and legal precedents of stop 

and frisk and the theory and practice behind these street stops. This background 

is followed by a discussion of stop and frisk’s unintended consequences and 

a series of practical recommendations for the lawful and respectful use of 

pedestrian stops in the context of community policing. 

http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P306

Street Gangs and Interventions 

This publication briefly reviews the range of prevention, intervention, 

suppression, and comprehensive strategies, providing examples of each type. 

It then offers a case study of problem analysis in Newark, New Jersey. It also 

discusses the unique utility of network analysis in the resultant problem 

analysis and underscores the important role of an academic research partner. 

Finally, the paper considers the importance of sustainability with regard to 

problem analysis. 

http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0722

Parents Quick Reference Card to Gangs 

This quick and easy reference guide provides common warning signs of gang 

involvement. Parents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with local 

gangs’ symbols, seek help early, and consider contacting school officials, local 

law enforcement, faith leaders, and community organizations for additional 

assistance. The Gang Reference Card for Parents is available in English, Spanish, 

Hmong, and Vietnamese.

English – http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P063

Spanish – http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P084 

Hmong – http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P088 

Vietnamese – http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P087

September 2015