The gang unit provides gang awareness presentations to citizen groups, school organizations, governmental bodies and other police departments. In addition to the gang unit, the police department has several proactive gang interdiction programs.

The police department also actively confronts criminal street gang activity with several education and public service programs including

• Public education and awareness programs and presentations;
• Gang activity awareness training to school resource officers (SROs) and Fairfax County public school personnel each August, prior to the start of school;
• SROs at all middle and high schools who are involved in numerous activities to prevent youth gang involvement;
• Diversion programs such as "GREAT" (Gang Resistance Education and Training) taught in several middle schools, which will be expanded in school year 2005-2006;
• Youth mentoring programs in schools and in the community;
• Community organized graffiti removal programs;
• Gang coordinators at each district station share local information with the gang unit and provide presentations to the community;
• Active participation and leadership of police department personnel in forums, boards and commissions related to youth violence and gang crime.

In 2003, funding from the United States Congress, through Congressman Frank Wolf, enabled the creation of the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force. This unit bridges the efforts of our gang investigations unit with partners from the metro region including representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (US-ICE). The result is a coordinated law enforcement and public information effort to combat gang activity.

Examples of Gang Markings

About Gangs

Q: What is a gang?

Virginia State Law 18.2-46.1 defines a criminal street gang as an ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, (i) which has one of its primary objectives or activities the commission of one or more predicate criminal acts, (ii) which has an identifiable sign or symbol, and (iii) whose members individually or collectively engage in a pattern of criminal gang activity.

Q: What other factors indicate gang involvement?

Location where individuals gather, clothing and gang names are a few factors to consider.

Q: How many gang members are there in Fairfax County?

As of 2004, police department intelligence indicates there are at least 1,500 gang members and associates in Fairfax County.

Q: How many gangs are there in Fairfax?

The police department has identified over 80 gangs.

Q: What is the ethnic origin of the gangs?

Although some gangs limit participation to their own native ethnic grouping, in fact there is no major ethnic group within the county that is not represented in one of the major criminal street gangs. It should not be assumed that any ethnic group is more predisposed to membership in a criminal gang.

Q: Where are gangs found?

Gang activity is seen to some degree throughout Fairfax County with more dense concentrations in a few specific areas.

Q: What should you do if you see gang graffiti?

Graffiti is used by gang members to identify turf, communicate threats and show allegiance. As a result it is important to call the police at 703-691-2131 if graffiti is spotted. These reports are taken seriously and an officer will be dispatched to the location to photograph and record the graffiti and incident. Once the report is taken we strongly encourage the property owners to immediately have the graffiti removed.

Q: Why do kids join gangs?

Reasons vary, but often young people who join gangs feel peer pressure, want protection, know gang members, want excitement, seek money, feel insecure, have an unhappy home life, grew up with violence, feel hopeless, or want a replacement for the family.

Q: Is being a gang member or dressing like a gang member illegal?

Several Virginia laws were passed in 2000 which address this issue. The recruiting of a juvenile into a criminal street gang is a class 6 felony. It also prohibits criminal street gang participation. There is also additional legislation being proposed. There are school regulations which prohibit students from wearing gang clothing and gang paraphernalia.

Q: Does Fairfax County Police have a gang unit?

In 1997, as gang related incidents began to occur more frequently, the police department formally targeted youth gang crime as a priority. At this time, the police department instituted the gang investigations unit. This unit was the first of its kind in the Northern Virginia area and continues to be referred to as the best source for information and training to other law enforcement agencies in the region.

The gang unit has been called upon to provide gang awareness presentations to citizen groups, school organizations, governmental bodies, and other police departments. The gang unit routinely targets gang activity thorough pro-active patrol and enforcement efforts, using surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Q: Does Fairfax County Police have proactive interdiction programs?

In addition to investigative and street patrol enforcement efforts, the police department also actively confronts criminal gang activity with several education and public service programs including

• Public education and awareness programs and presentations;
• Gang activity awareness training to school resource officers (SROs) and Fairfax County public school personnel each August, prior to the start of school;
• SROs have been assigned to all middle and high schools and are involved in numerous activities to prevent youth gang involvement;
• Diversion programs such as "GREAT" (Gang Resistance Education and Training) taught in several Middle Schools which will be expanded in school year 2005-2006;
• Youth mentoring programs in schools and the community;
• Community organized graffiti removal programs;
• Crime prevention officers present information lectures to the community on gangs;
• Each district station has a gang coordinator who coordinates information from the station level to the gang unit along with providing presentations to the community;
• Active participation and leadership of police department personnel in forums, boards and commissions related to youth violence and gang crime.