RES. NO. 1692 Title Resolution condemning shoe and clothing retailers and manufacturers who deliberately market their products in such a way as to glamorize membership in youth gangs. Body By Council Members Clarke, Fisher, Freed, Linares, Marshall, Perkins, Abel and Oddo; also Council Members Foster, McCaffrey, Michels, Nelson, O'Donovan and Spigner Whereas, As of September 1999, the New York City Police Department's Gang Investigation Unit identified approximately twenty-three gangs with 11, 000 members operating in New York City; and Whereas, The Gang Investigation Unit has identified Brooklyn North as the predominant area where the Bloods operate, and Brooklyn South as the main area of operation of their rival gang, the Crips; and Whereas, One of the trademark characteristics of gangs is that they wear certain types of clothing with an emphasis on color to identify themselves; the colors of the Bloods are black and red and members typically wear red bandanas around the head, arm or leg whereas the colors of the Crips are blue and white and members typically wear blue bandanas around the head, arm or leg; and Whereas, Gang Investigation Unit detectives have discovered a proliferation of gang apparel in retail clothing and shoe outlets, where they have found some stores that separate their clothing into red and blue sections and the popular work boots of at least one top label company are sold in "Bloods" red and "Crips" blue; and Whereas, These retailers are shamefully exploiting and glamorizing the self-destructive lifestyle of gang membership by deliberately catering to the apparel identification needs of confused and impressionable young people; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York condemns shoe and clothing retailers and manufacturers who deliberately market their products in such a way as to glamorize membership in youth gangs. LS#3762