Anatomy of a Gang Suppression Unit: The Social Construction of an Organizational Response to Gang Problems

Abstract

This article explores the institutional response of a midsized Midwestern police department to a perceived growing problem with youth gang activity. More specifically, this article analyzes both individual- and organizational-level variables that provide justification for creating and sustaining the existence of a Gang Suppression Unit (GSU). The evolution of the GSU is traced through both formal and informal constructions of a perceived youth gang problem by the Cedar Springs Police Department. Data collection consisted of 250 hours of participant observation with both uniformed patrol officers and members of the GSU, as well as official memos, records, and newspaper articles, to illustrate a historical overview of how the GSU emerged. In addition, this case study also provides evidence of common conditions often found in moral panic situations.