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.
Not too many years ago, the organization of Chicago's gangs was very different. From the 1970s into the early 2000s, street gangs in Chicago were sprawling, hierarchical organizations built to reap the profits of the drug trade. Often the highest-ranking leaders wielded power and influence beyond street crime.