The problem is, they don't respect us as gang members or as people. So, what we want to do with the pigs is to keep them out.

Li'l Monster, OG ("original gangster")

As with any segment of society, the law enforcement officer must be aware that he or she is dealing with an individual. If true, communicative dialogue is to be effected, any person needs to be treated - and, especially, perceive that he is being treated - as a human being of individual worth. Building upon that, the interviewer should remain aware that the character of a gang reflects the interactive dynamic of the individuals within it.

It also reflects the segment of society from which the gang draws its membership. The majority of gangs are from environments at or below the poverty line; the roots of their formation and membership derive from economic hardship. That said, it has been noted tha

Most gangs are territorial - "Boyz in the 'Hood", as the movie title aptly put it. When interviewing a gang member, the law enforcement officer must always be aware of his near-primal attachment to a very small area. The gang member's worldview is, consequently, very limited in terms of practical experience: he is familiar with, and comfortable in, his own gang-defined borders - what lies outside represents the unknown and, if it is another's gang's territory, life-threatening danger.

Cozic, Charles P., ed. Gangs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996.

Goldstein, Arnold P. "Gang Intervention: A Historical Review." In The Gang Intervention Handbook. Arnold P. Goldstein & C. Ronald Huff, eds. Champaign, IL: Research Press, 21-53.