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The gang estimates presented in the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment (NGTA) represent the collection of data provided by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) through the National Drug Threat Survey, Bureau of Prisons, state correctional facilities, and National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) law enforcement partners.

The Assessment has some interesting information about gang activity in or affecting Idaho. 

Idaho is is in the FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force West region along with Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,  Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Idaho is among the top five states in terms of  gang presence per capita in the United States.   The other four states with estimated 6 or more gang members per 1000 population are California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Illinois.

Idaho is among the top four states with estimated 6 or more gang members per law enforcement officer.  The other states are California, Utah, and New Mexico.

According to the Assessment, the gangs known to be present in Idaho are:

Bandidos MC (Outlaw Motorcycle Gang)
Brothers Speed MC (Outlaw Motorcycle Gang)
Mexican Mafia
Northside Big Tyme
Nuestra Familia
Russian Gangs
Vagos MC (Outlaw Motorcycle Gang)
Westside 18th Street
Westside Loma Locos

Gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent crime in most jurisdictions and up to 90 percent in several others, according to NGIC analysis. Major cities and suburban areas experience the most gang-related violence. Local neighborhood-based gangs and drug crews continue to pose the most significant criminal threat in most communities. Aggressive recruitment of juveniles and immigrants, alliances and conflict between gangs, the release of incarcerated gang members from prison, advancements in technology and communication, and Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization (MDTO) involvement in drug distribution have resulted in gang expansion and violence in a number of jurisdictions.

Gangs are increasingly engaging in non-traditional gang-related crime, such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, and prostitution. Gangs are also engaging in white-collar crime such as counterfeiting, identity theft, and mortgage fraud, primarily due to the high profitability and much lower visibility and risk of detection and punishment than drug and weapons trafficking.

Many gang members continue to engage in gang activity while incarcerated. Family members play pivotal roles in assisting or facilitating gang activities and recruitment during a gang members’ incarceration. Gang members in some correctional facilities are adopting radical religious views while incarcerated.

Gangs encourage members, associates, and relatives to obtain law enforcement, judiciary, or legal employment in order to gather information on rival gangs and law enforcement operations. Gang infiltration of the military continues to pose a significant criminal threat, as members of at least 53 gangs have been identified on both domestic and international military installations.

Gangs on Indian Reservations often emulate national-level gangs and adopt names and identifiers from nationally recognized urban gangs. Gang members on some Indian Reservations are associating with gang members in the community to commit crime.

There is one anti-gang task force based in Idaho, the Treasure Valley Metro Gang Task Force.