How Many Gangs Are in Detroit?

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Law enforcement and other agencies cannot provide the specific number of gangs currently active in Detroit, Mich., because Detroit’s gangs primarily are neighborhood-based, forming and dissolving on an ongoing basis. There are at least 2,500 confirmed gang members in Detroit, as reported to CBS Local.

While Detroit has a few gangs with nationally known names, such as the Latin Counts, most local gangs revolve around a school district or some other neighborhood affiliation.

As of Aug. 2013, roughly one in every 28 Detroit residents was connected to gang activity, according to the head of the Detroit Crime Commission. As of April 2011, approximately 1.4 million gang members across more than 33,000 gangs were criminally active throughout the United States, according to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment.