This is a proposed study to explore the relationship between crack sales, street gangs, and violence. With the advent of street and rock house sales of bicarbonate soda freebase, there has been growing concern that the number of persons who are freebasing cocaine has increased, that crack sales are becoming more and more associated with gangs, and that gangs are using violent means to control drug markets. Two previous studies on the crack/gang association have presented conflicting findings. Both studies utilized indirect methods to explore the relationship - one went to crack arrest data in Los Angeles and the second interviewed gang members in California penal institutions. We are proposing a more direct method of study. Our plan is to identify all the known gangs in San Francisco and then, using ethnographic methods to develop sufficient rapport with gang members, to conduct short-term systematic field observations of their turf and to undertake interviews with selected informants. At present, the crack/gang units of the San Francisco Police Department estimate that there are 38 different street gangs in San Francisco. We plan to first conduct systematic field observations of gang turf to establish the existence and frequency of crack sales and then to interview at least 10 informants from each of the gangs. Utilizing both a quantitative precoded schedule and an in-depth focused interview guide, the interview with gang members will explore: the history and general activities of gangs; the patterns of crack use; the patterns of crack sales; the use of weapons; intra-gang conflict and violence; etc. These interviews will be used in conjunction with field observations, information from the San Francisco crack/ gang unit, and information provided by informal interviews with local residents, merchants, and representatives of service agencies in the communities of gangs.
| Joe, K A (1993) Getting into the gang: methodological issues in studying ethnic gangs. NIDA Res Monogr 130:234-57 |
