Washington County is located adjacent to Frederick and Alleghany counties and is bordered by Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the population is approximately 132,000 with 37,000 of those living in Hagerstown. Most of the county is rural and gang activity is primarily in the city of Hagerstown.

As in many jurisdictions in Maryland, gangs are an emerging problem in Washington County, especially in Hagerstown. Police gather information from a variety of sources but it is hard to identify all of the gangs and gang members in the area and to get an accurate picture of how much gang-related crime exists. Gang information is often gathered as a supplemental to other investigations focusing on drug crimes.

Gangs in Hagerstown are primarily Bloods or Crips. Approximately 100 Bloods and as many as 75 Crips are in Hagerstown. Other gangs found in this area include the Westside Crips, Money Making Crips, Outlaw Gangers Crips, and 61st North Hoover Crips. These gangs are dominantly African American but some members are Caucasian. There is little Latino gang involvement; currently there may be fewer than 10 Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members in Hagerstown. The Latino population is rather small but there are a growing number of Latinos working in orchards and poultry farms in surrounding areas.

Many of the Bloods and Crips in Hagerstown do not wear clothing and tattoos that help identify them as gang members. There is little graffiti in Hagerstown. Bloods in particular are closed mouthed about their membership and activities. Adding to the challenge of determining gang membership is the high level of transience among gangs in Hagerstown. Many gang members have ties to New York rather than to Baltimore. Some New York gang members are attracted to Hagerstown because street level drug prices are higher than in New York and they make a better profit. The three correctional facilities in the Hagerstown area serve as another connection to the New York area. New York Bloods members may come to Maryland to sell drugs; they are then arrested and incarcerated in the Hagerstown area. Families of the incarcerated gang member may move from New York to Hagerstown to make visitation easier. Those families then build ties in the community and remain in Hagerstown after the family member’s release. While there are strong ties to New York, most of the criminal activity in Hagerstown is locally planned and controlled.

The dominant criminal activity is low-level street drug sales. More highly organized drug gangs have been identified, but are less common. Gang-related assaults are common and evolve out of conflict related to a gang member’s perceived disrespect. There is also a fair amount of retail theft, primarily shoplifting.

Most members begin their gang activities in their mid teens and by their early 20’s become less involved in gang life. This may be in response to repetitive incarcerations and/or members developing other commitments, such as having a family.