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Florida's growing gang problem can largely be blamed on illegal immigration.
That's according to an interim report from a grand jury impaneled last year to investigate a spike in gang activity throughout the state, especially in South Florida.
The 56-page report delivered to the state Supreme Court yesterday acknowledged that while some gang violence is "homegrown," many of the problems are being, quote, "imported through illegal immigration." The grand jury also found that gangs are using the Internet, particularly MySpace and other social networking sites, to recruit new members and are trying to infiltrate the military and law enforcement academies to get advanced weapons training.
Attorney General Bill McCollum pointed out that Florida is facing what is likely the nation's fastest-growing gang problem, with at least 15-hundred gangs with more than 65-thousand members.
The panel recommended the problem be battled with more state dollars and tougher prosecution.
Posted by tyne at January 19, 2008