In a comprehensive gang awareness and prevention book developed by Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow’s office, it indicates that more than a dozen gangs claim territory or have a presence in Will County.

An excerpt from the book states that that local police deal with the same problems—drug dealing, violence, robberies, burglaries, thefts and graffiti. Will County’s explosive growth and expansion in the housing sector have made gangs a regional problem. The development of new subdivisions and the subsequent annexations by local municipalities have brought the boundaries of many communities closer together. As a result, gang activity can no longer be considered a problem isolated in certain towns.

Even if a local police department is reporting a decrease in gang crime, there still may be signs of gang infiltration in the area, the report indicates. It continues to draw conclusions that gang crime is on the rise in some communities and this increase mirrors problems many communities across the nation face. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report documented a 1.3 percent increase in violent crimes—murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault for 2006 (will try to update). Although the national report does not identify the percentage of these crimes that can be attributed specifically to gangs, criminologists have linked the hike in crime to an increase in juvenile population, children who have easy access to guns and the rise of serious gang problems in smaller jurisdictions.