Violent street gangs have also become a significant problem in Indian Country. On the Navajo Reservation in Arizona alone there are approximately 55 street gangs, many of which have some affiliation with gangs in California, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Chicago. These gangs have been responsible for a dramatic increase in violent crimes in the Navajo Nation. Current trends indicate that Indian gangs are mirroring the gang activity occurring in the communities surrounding Indian Country. Ethnic gang criminal activity has also been increasing during the last few years.
Ethnic gangs possess many of the characteristics of the more organized street gangs.
The distinction between the two is that ethnic gangs require, as a condition of membership, that their members belong to a particular race or ethnic group. Among ethnic gangs, Jamaican posses and Asian gangs are considered by many law enforcement officials to pose a growing threat. The current increase in gang activity, including migration into previously gang-free communities, has required Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to adjust resources to deal with the resulting increase in violent crimes and drug trafficking. Until the early 1990s, these problems were deemed to lie largely outside the mandate of federal law enforcement. However, recent efforts and initiatives from federal law enforcement have had an impact in stemming the tide of gang-related crime that is destabilizing urban, suburban, and rural communities.