There is both good news and bad news on the gang front. The bad news is that gangs are creeping down into middle schools and they have become the new epicenters for gang recruitment as well as gang activity. Middle schoolers are typically aged 11-15.
The good news is that gang activity and crime have dropped since 2004. In 2007, gang offenses in public schools were down 37%. Much of the good news is attributed to the efforts of the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force.
In releasing the Northern Virginia Comprehensive Gang Assessment, a study of the region’s gang activity from 2003 to 2008, officials emphasized that although middle school gang activity is a concern, gangs are less of a problem in Northern Virginia and its schools than they are elsewhere. They credited the task force and a strong regional economy.
