Insane Clown Posse fans, or "juggalos," dress like this. We can see the need to watch out for them.
When you think of gangs, the Bloods, and the Crips quickly spring to mind. What about fans of the Insane Clown Posse?
Well, the FBI’s 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment has listed the so-called Juggalos as a “loosely-organized hybrid gang” that are “forming more organized subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity.” Yes, the FBI considers fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse to represent a threat similar to the Aryan Brotherhood and Latin Kings. Here’s hoping that the Insane Clown Posse subscribes to the notion that all publicity is good publicity.
(LINK: Top 10 Offbeat Fan Followings)
While other gangs cited in the report are linked to murders, illegal distribution of firearms and drug trafficking, prior to the FBI’s report, the Juggalos were known for causing mayhem at Insane Clown Posse shows, ominously scary clown makeup, and for possibly not knowing how magnets work. Since the release of this report, we now know that according to the federal government, the Juggalos are being likened to murderous street gangs who “engage in criminal activity and violence.” And, in NewsFeed’s opinion, for having poor taste in music. In fact, the Juggalos are already recognized as gangs in Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Problematically, according to Wired, “Juggalos evidently believe themselves to be badasses, an FBI report legitimizing their outlaw image will surely embolden them.”
The FBI classifies the Juggalos crimes as “sporadic, disorganized, [and] individualistic,” a description one could also apply to either the annual Gathering of the Juggalos or an Insane Clown Posse concert. The report also indicates that “most Juggalo criminal groups are not motivated to migrate based upon traditional needs of a gang.” This begs the question: Does the FBI need us to forward a link to the Insane Clown Posse’s tour schedule? Interestingly, the FBI’s report only mentions the correlation between the Juggalos and the Insane Clown Posse in a footnote. So much for the publicity.