we hear a lot about gang violence two
men are dead another hurt and a
gang-related shooting just last year
Suffolk police arrested dozens of gang
members after several teens were
brutally murdered let's say selling
stolen bikes gambling violence and drug
trafficking all a way of life that
lasted for years we're going to destroy
the vile criminal cartel ms-13 and many
other gangs but what are gangs where are
they a problem why do people join and
what inspires people to get out it's
tough to pin down one all-encompassing
definition of a gang because they come
in different forms with different
agendas and motives biker gangs prison
gangs street gangs the list goes on but
in general here's the definition
it's an at least semi organized group of
three or more people who have a common
identity and it espouses illegal
activity sometimes in violent ways
typically signs colors or other markers
distinguish the group and gang leaders
use harsh tactics to keep members in
line and grow their power according to
the FBI as of 2011 there were more than
33,000 gangs in the US and Puerto Rico
collectively including roughly 1.4
million members that's about the
population of Boston and Seattle
combined the vast majority of gangs in
the u.s. are in cities and in the
suburbs you won't find too many in rural
America
I'm an ex-offender ex-gang member X gang
leader and an ex drug dealer so I've
been full circle meet Ulysses Floyd
better known in his community as u.s.
u.s. grew up in a rough neighborhood in
Chicago's South Side he lost his mother
at an early age and his father was
largely absent from his life by the time
he was 15 he had joined a gang research
suggests there are several reasons why a
young person might join one it could be
an effort to boost popularity in an area
pad the wallet achieve a sense of
belonging or for security u.s. told me
why he got involved for camaraderie
mostly all my friends was in the game
when I joined and you know I've been
and running with him and then I said
they was in gangs already so I'm like
man you know they like come on beat with
us you know kick it with us I ride with
us so I eventually they won me over and
I joined the game then I became popular
what they call the huh
I'll put it a lot of work I'm just gonna
leave it at that
u.s. eventually became a leader of the
infamous gangster disciples a dangerous
and deadly criminal gang that formed in
Chicago and has been around for decades
the group now has tens of thousands of
members and a presence in over 100
cities across the country shootings
illegal drug deals US has seen it all
and he's been targeted - I can't even
remember all the times that I've been
shot at attempts on my life and I'm just
shot once but all other times I was
fortunate enough to escape but yeah and
these are rival gang members rival gang
members draw of war shootouts
you know all kind of stuff whatever
goals would do you know with the program
and you were pretty high up in the ranks
your gang you had a lot of protection
yes I have security I have security all
the time well I went with four guys with
me
gangs are prevalent in chicago's south
and west sides and are a huge factor in
a gun violence problem that has plagued
the city it's no coincidence that those
two areas of Chicago are ground zero for
economic hardships in fact the poverty
rate in some of those neighborhoods is
greater than 50% the poverty rate isn't
anywhere nearly as bad in most of
Chicago's more affluent North Side where
gang activity isn't as big of a problem
u.s. says money is definitely a factor
do you think their financial situation
yes economics yes
property economics always gonna have
something to do with it you know you
gonna have gangs where you got property
and and and it's not a lot of money
circulating you're gonna gangs that
breathe gangs and violence greets it
right there breezy you know there's no
money us served time behind bars for
drug offenses but the now 67 year old
has turned the page and abandoned gang
life he dedicates his time to
encouraging people to avoid violence us
is a supervisor for the outreach group
ceasefire Illinois one study led by
Northwestern University found that the
number of shootings and gang involved
killings dropped in certain places where
ceasefire existed do you think that's a
pretty clear indicator of working you
guys are doing yes yes it is because you
look at all other communities that
ceasefire went in at that time or less
time the violence was the same or rolls
up when we come into a community the
violence tends to go down the numbers
children to go down the data u.s. has
tried his best to abandon his former
gang life even though people around town
still remember him for it u.s. tries to
persuade young people not to go down the
same dangerous path he did and to save
lives in the process including their own
it almost sounds kind of like a
redemption story for you you're coming
full circle would you describe it that
way well all big-time that's what I'm
gonna save today I always think about
that our big time cuz I've done a lot of
stuff then I'm not proud of and like I
see it
I hurt my own people I hurt my community
and they suffered for the stuff that I
did so yeah our big time so like I said
I was a part of the problem and I want
to be a part of the solution and I want
to give back and I'm gonna save life and
help the young people wherever I can