Gang life will never be the same now that Generation Z is coming of age.
According to a new gang threat assessment published by the Texas Department of Public Safety, young gang members in the state are “relinquishing traditional gang structure and rules, opting for less organizational oversight and the freedom to serve in self-interested roles.”
Newer members are opting for a “free-enterprise, no-oversight approach to their criminal operations,” and they are not as dedicated to their gangs as older members. They don’t believe in sticking with the gang for life. The strict rule of “blood in, blood out” is no longer an internal mandate as it used to be.
Young members have caused some friction within the Texas Mexican Mafia gang as they have been dismantling the gang from within. For the Barrio Azteca gang, younger members are opportunistic. They have disregarded previous rivalries with other gangs and drug cartels and partnered with them to increase their profits. This evolution has fueled their comeback in El Paso, Texas.
They are also committing crimes “to enjoy the profits for themselves, without first receiving permission from gang leadership,” the report found.
These young gangbangers don’t care about tradition. They don’t care about loyalty or honor. They are part of a gang because they believe in its material benefit.
As a whole, Generation Z cares more about personal wealth and material goods than its experience-driven, social justice warrior predecessors. Gangs understand this and appear to be embracing it for the sake of self-preservation. The report notes that gangs are recruiting new young members by promising things such as money and popularity.
They’ve turned to social media and video-sharing websites to “brag, recruit, promote and antagonize.” They’ve also become smarter when it comes to internal communications. Instead of texting, members use “encrypted mobile messaging applications to communicate privately” so they can “thwart law enforcement’s ability to counter their criminal activities.”
Now who could have possibly introduced them to that technology?
Generation Z has effectively prolonged the existence of gangs by decentralizing control and by introducing new values and means of communication. This has led to increased drug smuggling, human trafficking, and homicide rates.
And the media have the nerve to criticize millennials for killing Applebee’s and canned tuna? Please.
Brendan Pringle (@BrendanPringle) is writer from California. He is a National Journalism Center graduate and formerly served as a development officer for Young America’s Foundation at the Reagan Ranch.
