What is a gang?
A gang is a group of people who want to be seen as different from others and want others to perceive them as a distinct group. This group is organized, has leadership, and is committing criminal and/or delinquent acts in the community. Gangs establish their reputation by the types and severity of the crimes they commit. The more heinous the crime the more “juice” or reputation the gang gets. In the seedy street gang world, the more “juice” you have the more respect you get! The State of Florida has a legal definition of a Criminal Street Gang and what it takes to be classified as a Criminal Street Gang Member. To view these definitions, please click on the following link, Florida Statute 874.03.
Virginia State Law 18.2-46.1 defines a criminal street gang as any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, (i) which has as one of its primary objectives or activities the commission of one or more criminal activities; (ii) which has an identifiable name or identifying sign or symbol; and (iii) whose members individually or collectively have engaged in the commission of, attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of two or more predicate criminal acts, at least one of which is an act of violence, provided such acts were not part of a common act or transaction.
