What is the Playboys Gang?
The Playboys Gang is primarily located in West Los Angeles and many of its members are Hispanic. The gang refers to itself as the PBS gang or the Conejo, and they operate in and outside of prisons. The gang has strong ties to the Mexican Mafia, and they are known for trafficking drugs and firearms, murders, drive-bys, and assaults.
The gang’s roots go as far back as the 1950s, and the gang has spread throughout the United States. Members of the gang usually identify themselves tattoos of the playboy bunny. The primary identifying color for male members of the gang is blue, and female members use pink or blue to identify themselves as a playboys gang member.
Playboys Gang is only Small Part of Gang Problem in the United States
In 2011, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a National Gang Threat Assessment that collected crime data from around the United States. Some of the key findings in the assessment are listed below:
· the FBI estimates that there are about 1.4 million active street and prison gang members (including outlaw motorcycle club members) that operate in 33,000 different gangs in the United States
· gang activity accounts for 48 percent of all violent crimes the majority of jurisdictions and up to 90 percent of all violent crimes in high-density jurisdictions
· the majority of gangs in the United States work with Central American and Mexican drug trafficking organizations to engage in illegal border crossing activity, including human and drug smuggling
· many gang encourage members to obtain employment in law enforcement or legal fields so they can gather information about other rival gangs
Federal Laws Defining a Gang
18 U.S.C. §521 clearly defines what constitutes a gang. Gangs are defined as “ongoing groups, clubs, organization, or associations with five or more individuals that have as one of their primary purposes that commission of one or more criminal offenses.” Other sections of 18 U.S.C. §521 define gang related offenses as distributing controlled substances, crimes of violence against another person, and more.
Important Facts Released by the FBI
The Playboys gag is extremely dangerous, as is all gang activity. The FBI released the following information in the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment as well:
· more than 90 percent of illegal Mexican migrants entering the United States receive assistance from professional smugglers—many of whom are gang members
· because of involvement between gangs and Mexican drug trafficking organizations (MDTOs), about 80 percent of all wholesale cocaine distribution is controlled by the MDTOs
· gang memberships have increased by 40 percent since 2009
· the majority of marijuana produced by MDTOs is smuggled through the Tohono O’odham Reservation in Arizona—an area of about 75 miles that receives little attention from border patrol
· many gangs are using the internet and social networking site to recruit new gang members now
· the state of California has 6+ gang members per every law enforcement officer
Source: https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment
