Are gangs protected in urban areas by friends and relatives of members?

It's not that they don't want to admit there's gang activity in the area because they want to protect their friends or loved ones. It's that they're scared of how the gang will retaliate against them when they find out they spoke to the cops.

Gangs tend to have an iron grip on the community they live in and rule with the power of installing fear in the neighborhood. They'll happily tell people that they'll find out who talks to the police and that those people will regret it.

Hamza is right to an extent. Gangs certainly exist, but they're no where near the way the media likes to portray (don't get me started on Gangland..)--at least not anymore. I know a lot of gang violence and gang members has gone down in recent years. The bigger of the violent street gangs (Especially MS13) are actually trying to become a more high-end organized criminal groups. They recruit young kids who want to be gangsters and tell the kids to dress in a super stereotypical "gangsta" way so the cops go after the kids instead of the actual leaders of the gang who have learned to lay low.

I believe that it is usually because they are so scared of the gangs and what the gangs can do to their family.

After all, if you knew that by speaking with the police, it was possible to put your family in harms way, would you do it? Didn't think so!

I don't even think gangs exist they are just an intervention by the media. I live in Southern California a home to gang banging and never seen any. A lot of people just watch Gangland or Gangsters Americas most evil and think they exist