Gangs go woke? The new face of organized crime in New Jersey

⚠️ Gangs in New Jersey are becoming harder to identify and track.

➡️ Gang activity now stretches into suburban and rural communities.

🔴 Younger recruits and neighborhood alliances are reshaping gang violence statewide.

Organized crime is changing with the times.

Gangsters are crossing cultural boundaries as they terrorize and exploit New Jersey communities, law enforcement officials and experts in New Jersey recently revealed.

New Jersey is no stranger to criminal organizations, whether it's illegal poker games run by mobsters, deadly gang shootings, or vehicle theft rings. But these days, the old crime families are prioritizing online gambling over gunning down their rivals like in "Goodfellas."

In November, state prosecutors said they charged a soldier of the Lucchese crime family with running a multi-million dollar sports betting ring that preyed on Gen Z student athletes. More than a dozen people were charged, including the accused mafioso's family members.

New Jersey gang violence is declining, but criminal groups are evolving

It's a trend with gang violence, too. Statewide, violence is on the decline. In 2025, there were 554 gunshot wound survivors and 107 shooting homicide victims in New Jersey, according to the state Regional Operations and Intelligence Center. Those numbers were more than doubled just five years ago.

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But gang activity hasn't gone anywhere. It's evolving throughout the state and becoming harder to track, a panel of law enforcement experts said at a State Commission of Investigation hearing on Tuesday.

"There's a misconception that gangs are only an urban problem, something confined to large cities. That is simply not true. Gang activity is present in suburban and rural communities, including Morris County," said Morris County Sheriff James Gannon.

Neighborhood loyalty is replacing old gang rivalries in New Jersey

Newark police Sgt. Sean Lake said violent criminals now have greater loyalty to their neighbors than to nationally affiliated gangs. This leads to gang activity less focused on cultural and racial differences.

"We've actually seen gang shootings where it's Bloods and Crips shooting at other Crips, or Bloods and Crips shooting at other Bloods, because it's a neighborhood gang rather than the typical street gangs of the past," said Lake.

This goes along with a trend of gang members with fewer identifiers, like tattoos and fashion identifiers such as blue or red clothing, said retired Detective Cpl. Edwin Santana, who helped to start the Morris County Sheriff's Gang Intelligence Unit.

ALSO READ: NJ man sentenced in double robbery at Atlantic City liquor store

Police warn younger recruits are fueling the next generation of gangs

Gangs are also targeting younger recruits, including young students at New Jersey schools who are on social media. In class, these recruits make friends with students who are affiliated with different gangs. In turn, this feeds the trend of more neighborhood gangs with local priorities.

Last year, a 14-year-old boy was charged as a juvenile with the murder of a Newark police detective. Federal prosecutors said the cop killer was a member of the Bloods gang. State law prevents a 14-year-old from being charged as an adult, no matter the seriousness of the crime.

"They're just getting younger and younger. And they're combining forces," said Lt. Nicole Bradley with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office. Bradley said that over the past four years, eight street gangs in Hudson County have united to form two larger groups.

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