Criminal Street Gangs

Unfortunately, there are gang members present in every community in the United States and Dover is no different than any other community. 

The Town of Dover Police Department has several officers who have been trained and continuously "sharpen their skills" as Gang Specialists.  When "gang members" are located engaging in criminal activity within the community, these officers work with various agencies in the law enforcement community to address this and remove them from our community. 

While the term “gang” can have many different meanings, even within the law enforcement community.  New Jersey Criminal Code (2C:44-3(h)) defines a gang as follows. A gang’, ‘street gang’ or ‘criminal street gang’ means:   three or more persons associated in fact. Individuals are associated in fact if (1) they have in common a group name or identifying sign, symbol, tattoo or other physical marking, style of dress or use of hand signs or other indicia of association or common leadership, and (2) individually or in combination with other members of a criminal street gang while engaging in gang related activity, have committed, conspired or attempted to commit, within the preceding three years, two or more offenses of robbery, carjacking, aggravated assault, assault, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, arson, burglary, kidnapping, extortion, or a violation of chapter 11, section 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 of chapter 35 or chapter 39 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes regardless of whether the prior offenses have resulted in convictions.

For more information please review the New Jersey State Police Gang Survey