WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) today reintroduced the Gang Activity Reporting Act. The bipartisan bill requires the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to resume regular reporting on criminal gang trends across the country that it previously provided to Congress, but discontinued in 2009 and 2012.
 
“Crime is a major concern for many Americans. I often hear from constituents who want to know what Congress is doing to combat the historic crime wave, and accurate and up-to-date information on crime statistics helps to inform my response,” Grassley said. “The Justice Department, FBI and law enforcement partners should resume gang reporting as soon as possible so we can effectively crack down on violent gangs and keep our communities safe.”
 
“Communities across America have been affected by the nationwide rise in violent crime, and we must take action to reverse this dangerous trend,” Rosen said. “I’m helping introduce bipartisan legislation to provide law enforcement officials with new data on gang membership and trends so they can better understand how gangs are contributing to violent crime and identify solutions to strengthen public safety.”
 
Background
While the Justice Department and FBI have established units to address criminal gang activity, critical data is no longer regularly collected and shared with Congress or the public. The FBI’s National Gang Threat Assessment stopped reporting estimated gang memberships after 2009.  The Justice Department’s National Gang Center (NGC) stopped reporting the quantity and memberships of gangs in 2012. The NGC’s 2020 threat assessment was not shared with Congress until June of 2022, and lacked critical metrics on gang activity. The NGC’s National Youth Gang Survey stopped reporting in 2012, and the last Attorney General’s report to Congress on the growth of violent street gangs in Suburban Areas was submitted in 2008.
 
The Gang Activity Reporting Act would fix lax reporting standards by requiring an annual report from the Justice Department on activity of local, national and transnational criminal gangs, including aggregate data on membership, enterprises, methods and networks supporting criminal activity and arrest statistics. It would also require the FBI to detail its work to track gang activity and prosecute related criminal activity, as well as resources expended to combat and respond to gang-related crime.
 
The bill is supported by several law enforcement organizations, including the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the Major County Sheriff’s Association and the National Association of Police Officers.
 
“Accurate, consistent, and reliable data is critical for ensuring U.S. Attorney’s Offices are appropriately allocating resources to the highest risk crimes. As violent crime continues to rise nationwide, this legislation will ensure both Congress and the Justice Department are empowered with the necessary information about gang activity to actively address violent crime. This will enhance investigations and strengthen prosecutions. We thank Senator Grassley and Senator Rosen for leading on this issue for our communities,” NAAUSA President Steve Wasserman said.
 
“PORAC is proud to support Senator Grassley’s legislation, which will require the Department of Justice to provide annual reporting on gang activity. As violent crime continues to surge in this country, it is crucial that we have the accurate and up-to-date information needed to adequately address this growing issue and protect our communities,” said PORAC President Brian Marvel.
 
Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.
 
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