verb (used with object) 1. to make (something broken, worn, torn, or otherwise damaged) whole, sound, or usable by repairing: to mend old clothes; to mend a broken toy. 2. to remove or correct defects or errors in.
Today, the Chicago Police Department is doing something similar with gangs. Using a tool academics call ânetwork analysis,â the CPD is mapping the relationships among Chicagoâs 14,000 most active gang members. Itâs also ranking how likely those people are to be involved in a homicide, either as victims or offenders.
The rise in gang violence since the 1980s caused lawmakers to seek a variety of methods to curb the formation and activities of these gangs. According to statistics from the National Youth Gang Center, more than 24,500 gangs, consisting of more than 770,000 members, exist in about 3,330 cities in the United States.