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Legislation in the state Senate would make it a criminal offense to recruit gang members in the commonwealth.
Senate Majority leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Chester) said the Chester County District Attorney brought the growing gang issue to his attention.
"They have the beginnings of some young criminal street gangs, and the district attorney wanted some additional tools to stop the problem before it grew and spread," Pileggi said.
In December, a gang altercation ended with two men fatally stabbed. A dozen men between the ages of 16-20 have since been arrested for those murders. Nine have been identified as being affiliated with a criminal gang.
Pileggi said his bill allows for varied punishment for the crime based on the recruiting method used by the gang.
"At minimum it would be a first degree misdemeanor," Pileggi said. "If the individual used force or threats or intimidation it would become a third degree felony, and if that force also inflicted bodily injury on a person in an attempt to get that person to join a criminal gang, it would become a third degree felony with a sentencing enhancement."
Those sentencing enhancements increase the mandatory minimum punishment for many drug and violent crimes that are committed to benefit gangs.
Pileggi said his legislation would provide law enforcement with a tool to prevent adults from soliciting and pressuring young people into joining a criminal street gang. About 20 other states have a similar law.
