Evidence tends to show a link between youths who witness domestic violence and those who run away from home, become involved in gang violence, perform poorly in school, or become pregnant. It is estimated that more than one-third of all 911 emergency calls for service involve cases of domestic violence. The Family Violence Teams, which include investigators teaming with case workers from the Division of Social Services, have begun to actively investigate and prosecute domestic violence which is witnessed by children as child abuse. A Police Cadet is assigned to carefully review each juvenile runaway report and to initiate contact with the reporting parent or guardian. The reports are updated as necessary and assigned to an investigator for investigation as leads are developed.
Investigators attempt to identify chronic runaways and find the underlying cause for their behavior.
Families of runaways are referred to the proper agencies for services and counseling. Nearly every neighborhood within the city has a group of youths which hang together and on occasion get involved in some type of gang activity, though not all groups of youths who hang together are gangs. However, if ignored, each group has the potential to develop into, or be incorporated into an established gang. The role of the Gang Squad is that of first responder. It is in that role that the Youth Gang Squad identifies groups that show signs of becoming involved in formal gang activity, and intervenes in the process.