This is an unanticipated consequence of tearing down the highrise projects in the 90s. Where once you had organized gangs occupying the towers and dominating their neighborhoods, tearing them down meant scattering the occupants—and gang members—across previously-calm city neighborhoods and the southern suburbs.
Now, a handful of large, reasonably controlled gangs have been replaced by dozens if not hundreds of fragmented “mini-gangs” fighting over turf—even when, a few years prior, they had been part of the same gang “nation”.
You’re probably right. Not sure why gangs persist once they’re cleared out.....sounds like they just wait it out (scattered) then just regroup back where they were from to fight for their turf.