Chicago Has Most Gang Members in Nation: Weis

Chicago - Chicago has the largest gang population in the country according to a new report that finds between 68,000 and 150,000 gang members are living in the city. The new publication from the Chicago Crime Commission , called The Gang Book, is being hailed as a new tool to help police officers fight crime and to help educate the community.

The report details 73 active gangs in Chicago and identifies things like gang turf, colors, signs and a troubling new trend: gangs using social media to recruit.

Former Police Superintendent Jody Weis, president of the Chicago Crime Commission, said the goal of the research is to help police reduce gang populations in the city.

The research shows gangs are increasingly sophisticated in their use of technology and social media to recruit and communicate, according to Weis.

“They’re a lot a smarter than I think a lot of people give them credit for. It’s a challenge for law enforcement to keep up with those technologies so they can combat them by using technology against them, not allowing them to use it to their advantage,” Weis said.

Weis said one finding that surprised him was how young gangs are recruiting members, and he thinks education of parents and kids should start as early as elementary school.

Kids will reach out for a gang because they’re looking for structure and discipline, so Weis said part of the solution is parents being active and engaged with their children. Parents should also be friends with their children on social media, Weis said.

For more information, go to www.chicagocrimecommission.org