Street Gangs Online: We already knew terrorist groups like Al Quaida use the Internet to communicate with each other and plan their criminal activities. Now it looks like common street gangs are invading the ‘Net, too. These new “netbangers” are hanging out in chat rooms instead of (or in addition to) street corners, even creating their own professional quality web sites. And the cops aren’t far behind.
But it’s not just kids searching for vicarious thrills. Active gang members use the Web sites to communicate with each other and sometimes to pick online fights with rival gangs. What starts on the Internet can quickly spill onto the streets. Cops in Boston and Texas who broke up gang brawls in the past few years found that the altercations had been scheduled on gang Web sites.
Read more about it here.
Deb Shinder