Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Street gangs are using social media to follow through with their criminal plans, explained in a new book published by the Chicago Crime Commission, a non-profit organization that supports fighting crime.

First published six years ago, the written work is actually an update on "The Gang Book." Some of the updates included explain how street gangs use the same social media sites as a lot of people do, such as Facebook and Twitter, but not in the same way. Gangs are using these sites to cause trouble and scare others.

Included in the book is information on all Chicago street gangs, including mapping out each gang's territory. The book was written to be helpful to gang investigators, but also to parents, teachers, and others who are yearning to learn more about the city's gangs.  Overall, there is an estimate of about 100 gangs in Chicago, with total membership between 70,000 and 125,000 people.

President of the Chicago Crime Commission, Jody Weis explained, "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 was surprised at how young some of the gang members are and recommends that education and knowledge on street gang information should be taught as early as elementary school.

© 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.