The National Youth Gang Center gratefully acknowledges the following individuals and agencies that assisted in conducting the 1996 National Youth Gang Survey and preparing this Summary:

• Staff of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, particularly Betty Chemers, Director, Research and Program Development Division, and D. Elen Grigg, Program Specialist, Research and Program Development Division, for their support and guidance.

• Staff of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services; and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, for advice and assistance in creating the samples of agencies to be surveyed.

• Law enforcement representatives of the 4,219 police and sheriff's departments who took time to respond to the survey.

• The following researchers who provided invaluable advice and counsel, assisted in the design of the survey instrument, reviewed the methodology, selected the sample, and reviewed and commented on the draft report: G. David Curry, Ph.D.; Richard C. Feiock, Ph.D.; James C. Howell, Ph.D.; Malcolm W. Klein, Ph.D.; Cheryl L. Maxson, Ph.D.; Walter B. Miller, Ph.D.; and Irving A. Spergel, Ph.D.

• The staff of the firm of Kerr and Downs Research for their assistance in data collection and data entry.

• The staff of the Institute for Intergovernmental Research and the National Youth Gang Center who conducted the survey and prepared the Summary.