Gangs Using Social Networks As Recruiting Tool

CBS5.com:

Young people who visit social networking sites to download music and pictures glorifying criminal street gangs can unwittingly set themselves up to be recruited by those gangs, according to law enforcement officials and youth counselors.

San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer, who speaks for the San Mateo County gang task force, said gang leaders are aware that kids like to socialize on sites such as MySpace and YouTube.

"We're seeing our gangs and the resurgence of some of the gang members coming back from prison looking more and more to those middle schoolers and the younger kids to recruit them," said Manheimer.

Manheimer said kids get into discussions in the comments sections of web sites, and engage in everything from vicious threats to what seems to be innocuous chit-chat.

Read the whole story: CBS5.com

Comments

[GQTaste]

fact finder, Bullshit! Let me know how you feel when you get accousted by some of those punks for the first time. I"ll bet you'll have a different attitude then.

[winningticket]

It's all about parenting. You are responsible for protecting your own. Be a family to your kid. It's not the Mara Salvatruchas responsibility for raising your kid!

[fact finder]

Every body needs a family and if the only one that they can get is a gang then that is where they will go. Sad, so Sad.