The Gang Investigations Unit is charged with tracking all gang activity, and compiling intelligence on gang members here in our City. This data, collected from 1986 through 1997, provides a clear picture of the activities and practices of Joliet gangs. Each gang has Black, Hispanic and Caucasian members of varying numbers. However, Caucasian membership may be expanding more rapidly than Black or Hispanic. In 1997, there were approximately 1,700 self-admitted gang members ranging in age from 14 to 55 years of age.
Gang members are more likely to be armed during periods of inter-gang conflicts.
The majority of documented gang-related shootings are retaliatory in motive, and therefore sometimes predictable. However, firearms are not the only weapons used by Joliet gang members. Fresh gang graffiti may be an indication of a gang presence in a neighborhood. It is of vital interest to local law enforcement, and should be reported immediately. Gang members are much bolder than the individual criminal because they act in concert to violate the law.