The problem of gangs and gang subculture is a growing threat to the stability of neighborhoods and entire communities. During the past two decades, gang members have increasingly migrated from large urban centers to suburban areas and other countries. This book addresses the intricacies and diversities of street gangs, drawing on the expertise of high-ranking law enforcement officials monitoring terrorist activity and gang-related crimes as well as professional private investigators who have spent several decades investigating gangs and learning their subculture, lifestyle, motivations, and relationships. Ideal for supplemental reading in gang violence courses on criminal justice, sociology, law, and psychology, this comprehensive anthology presents thorough coverage of a notoriously difficult subject. It explores the following key topics: Social, psychological, and criminal impact of street gangs on juveniles Psychology of gang membership and the pathways that lead into and out of gang culture Relationship between religion and dangerous criminal gangs How U.S.-based gangs are using technology to advance their operations Use of graffiti by street gangs Evolution of gangs and recommendations for preventing future growth Gang enhancement crimes and associated misconduct of police and prosecutors Like any type of crime, street gang criminal activity cannot be totally eliminated. This book aims to provide a better understanding of gangs so that we can influence today's potential gang members to make the right decisions for their sake and the sake of society.

Since 9/11, the terms homeland security and terrorism have become firmly entrenched in our lexicon. The days of walking through a simple metal detector at the airport are over, and our security landscape is forever changed. Terrorism and Homeland Security: Perspectives, Thoughts, and Opinions brings together the work of academic researchers and law enforcement and intelligence personnel to present a sober appraisal of the issues surrounding the current state of our security infrastructure.

Topics highlighted in this thought-provoking volume include:

• The history of terrorism; the growth of the Taliban, Hamas, and Hezbollah; and the rise of transnational anti-Western Islamism
• Progress made in protecting nations and individuals from terrorism
• An analysis of a captured al-Qaeda training manual
• The concept of martyrdom and suicide bombing
• Political and strategic warfare and propaganda
• Cooperative antiterrorism efforts between the United States and the European Union
• Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorism
• Insider threats and how citizens can help their communities be vigilant about detecting terrorism
• Intelligence gathering by means of interpersonal contact
• Terrorist threats south of the border
• Tools for locating bomb makers and clandestine labs

An examination of the causes and effects of terrorism and the complicated issues surrounding homeland security, this thought-provoking anthology provides a broad perspective for understanding the threat we face and how we can best meet the challenges of 21st century homeland security.

While professional courses and how-to manuals can prepare us for expected events that will occur in the course of our careers, there remains an untapped reservoir of life experience that cannot be prepared for in training or study. These events and experiences give texture and meaning to our work and shape our character. Filled with stories of courage and inspiration, What They Didn't Teach at the Academy: Topics, Stories, and Reality Beyond the Classroom looks at experiences encountered by public safety and military professionals that were not necessarily encompassed in their training or realistically portrayed in simulations. Topics raised in the stories include: A doctor confronting her own debilitating and potentially fatal disease Cultural awareness and safe travel Suicide among law enforcement officers Departmental harassment of a new police recruit Coping with an addicted spouse Posttraumatic stress disorder Life as a K-9 handler The effect of work obligations on marriage and family Conflicts between moral beliefs and professional principles Debunking myths about Islam The book also examines coping mechanisms for stress and discusses the importance of observation, perception, and communication in facing challenging encounters. Through this collection of vignettes and philosophies, the contributors demonstrate that the lessons of life are not taught in colleges, universities, and academies but through hard experience.

Understanding the financial motivations behind white collar crime is often the key to the apprehension and successful prosecution of these individuals. Now in its second edition, Criminal Financial Investigations: The Use of Forensic Accounting Techniques and Indirect Methods of Proof provides direct instruction on the "how to" aspects of criminal financial investigations, taking readers through the different approaches used in gathering evidence and demonstrating how to present circumstantial evidence to a judge or jury in a simple and convincing manner. Simplifying how the financial pieces fit together, this text: Presents the logic and reasoning involved in constructing a financial criminal investigation Describes the requirements for legal acceptance of forensic accounting investigations Includes relevant examples of the step-by-step processes involved in financial investigations Explores the pitfalls-and how to avoid them-in financial investigating Contains two investigations with step-by-step procedures from initial inquiry to case completion-for use as term or topical assignments or to promote class discussion New Chapters in the Second Edition: What Is a Financial Investigation? Indirect Methods in Tax Investigations Unique Aspects of Criminal Tax Investigations Innovative Applications Written by a former Special Agent with the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, this volume sets out a successful methodology enabling readers to identify, pursue, and successfully prosecute financial white collar crime.

Fear, Society, and the Police examines elements of fear and how they can be controlled and turned into an effective and proper response in an emergency situation. Readers of this book will be exposed to ways fear can become an uncontrolled emotion, often leading to unnecessary acts of violence, and will examine ways and means of using reasoning to overcome unfounded fear. The author encourages readers to critically assess circumstances in today's society that have caused fear, unrest, and division between the enforcers of law and the people they are sworn to protect. Providing examples of how violence in society has had an impact on police-community relations, this book examines the many facets of fear from several perspectives, including historical, personal, and institutional. Security management courses concentrate on the "how and why" of security, yet to become an effective professional security specialist it is recommended the practitioner become educated in the nuances of fear. This book presents a look into the how and why of fear, and will relate to security personnel as it does to police officers. The book brings perspectives based on reality and experience. It will be of interest not only to those who work in law enforcement, but also to students in criminal justice, management and leadership, psychology, and sociology courses. As violence in society escalates, professionalism will require more understanding of fear-based emotions.

Fear, Society, and the Police examines elements of fear and how they can be controlled and turned into an effective and proper response in an emergency situation. Readers of this book will be exposed to ways fear can become an uncontrolled emotion, often leading to unnecessary acts of violence, and will examine ways and means of using reasoning to overcome unfounded fear. The author encourages readers to critically assess circumstances in today's society that have caused fear, unrest, and division between the enforcers of law and the people they are sworn to protect. Providing examples of how violence in society has had an impact on police-community relations, this book examines the many facets of fear from several perspectives, including historical, personal, and institutional. Security management courses concentrate on the "how and why" of security, yet to become an effective professional security specialist it is recommended the practitioner become educated in the nuances of fear. This book presents a look into the how and why of fear, and will relate to security personnel as it does to police officers. The book brings perspectives based on reality and experience. It will be of interest not only to those who work in law enforcement, but also to students in criminal justice, management and leadership, psychology, and sociology courses. As violence in society escalates, professionalism will require more understanding of fear-based emotions.

While professional courses and how-to manuals can prepare us for expected events that will occur in the course of our careers, there remains an untapped reservoir of life experience that cannot be prepared for in training or study. These events and experiences give texture and meaning to our work and shape our character. Filled with stories of courage and inspiration, What They Didn't Teach at the Academy: Topics, Stories, and Reality Beyond the Classroom looks at experiences encountered by public safety and military professionals that were not necessarily encompassed in their training or realistically portrayed in simulations. Topics raised in the stories include: A doctor confronting her own debilitating and potentially fatal disease Cultural awareness and safe travel Suicide among law enforcement officers Departmental harassment of a new police recruit Coping with an addicted spouse Posttraumatic stress disorder Life as a K-9 handler The effect of work obligations on marriage and family Conflicts between moral beliefs and professional principles Debunking myths about Islam The book also examines coping mechanisms for stress and discusses the importance of observation, perception, and communication in facing challenging encounters. Through this collection of vignettes and philosophies, the contributors demonstrate that the lessons of life are not taught in colleges, universities, and academies but through hard experience.