Gang Rivalries

“If gang tattoos function as representations of the contested identities of socially excluded youth, gang graffiti functions as one of the indicators of contested boundaries of gang influence or control.” – Something interesting I read on this site.

What are the purposes of gang rivalries?  The issues of money, drug trafficking, extortion, robberies, homicide, prostitution, and other organized crime activities all play central roles. Racial differences (like the Black-Hispanic gang rivalries in Los Angeles), are, of course, another major contributor.  But there is one unmentioned factor that all gangs always fight over – territory.  The need to expand and defend their territory, their turf, against one another is a crucial component of their existence.  If a comparison can be made with the businesses world, just as corporations compete against each other for the ability to make more money, gangs compete for the same thing in their own way, with the ultimate goal of gaining additional territory for increased drug sales through more people to extort.  This conflict over territory is called a “turf war.”

- See more at: http://thepoeconsequence.com/gang-rivalries-the-us-against-them-men...