State's Attorney | Page 53

gangs Gangs Regardless of race, color, creed, or religion, every person has national constitutionally protected rights of freedom of expression and association. However; urban, suburban and rural communities, neighborhoods, and schools throughout the county and the state are being terrorized and plundered by street gangs. In addition, a correlation between street gangs and narcotics distribution has been recognized. Every day, lives are being held captive and destroyed by the manufacturing and distribution of cannabis and controlled substances such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription pills. Drug-related deaths are steadily increasing at an alarming rate. Street gangs are often controlled by criminally sophisticated adults who take advantage of youth by intimidating and coercing them into membership by employing them as