6th Street

6th Street are one of the many gangs featured in the Cyberpunk universe.

Overview
Founded by veterans of the fourth Corporate War tired of the helplessness of the NCPD, members of 6th Street in 2045 are generally well-armed and heavily cybered-up with armament from their days in the field. Recently, they have been forced to move into extortion and smuggling in efforts to pay their bills. While they operate all throughout the city, the 6th Street all are welcome protectors of the Holy Angels Church in Little Europe. Their main base of operations sprawling, nine-story, retrofitted National Guard armory in North Heywood. Their base has a vehicle bay, weapon lockers, military-level comms and security, and one of the sublevels is even a fallout shelter. A security contract made them the official law enforcement for North Heywood, meant to serve and protect the community that would, with time, become known as the Vista del Rey subdistrict.

It’s rumored that former US Colonel Solomon Wright - also known as X - blackmailed various Corporate Execs to help fund 6th Street during its inception. As those execs died of natural causes and 6th Street continued to compete with bigger private contractors like Militech and Lazarus, 6th Street’s cash flow began to hit a rough patch. Danger Gal predicted that. as their cash flow reduced, they were likely to compromise their high ideals. However, X mandated operatives to update their list of cyberware monthly. If they are too heavily cybered, they were released from service - a policy likely followed out of fear of cyberpsychosis. The gang had managed to good working relationship with the Nomads.

By 2077, as Danger Gal had anticipated, the 6th Street had forgone their original goal of serving public trust, and were no different from any other gang who abused their power and position in local communities. They regularly forced smaller neighborhood businesses to pay tribute and "protection money," and were known to engage in outright criminal activities such as vehicle theft, illicit drug manufacturing and distribution, and murder.

The uniforms of 6th Street gangers were heavily influenced by military and patriotic accents: military boots, tactical vests and knee pads, cargo pants, baseball caps with USA flags, stars, stripes, and eagles. Cyberware used by the gang include cyberoptics, pain editors, and health monitors.

By 2077, 6th Street was supplied by Militech and Kendachi. That same year, the gang underwent a sudden change in leadership, the culmination of a schism between members who were fine with dealing with corporations and members who considered such activities to be a betrayal of the gang's founding principles. The anti-corpo faction, led by Will Gunner, seized power in a coup when Gunner brazenly killed the gang's leader at the time, "General" Rick Morton. What followed was a bloody purge of Morton's lieutenants, loyalists, and other associates as Gunner's people consolidated their grip over 6th Street. Despite Gunner's anti-corpo stance, 6th Street continued to work with some corporations, and even secretly cooperated with Kendachi to design a new line of weapons.

Philosophy and structure
The gang consists of about 2,300 members. 6th Street was formed about fifty years ago by veterans of the Fourth Corporate War who were tired of the local gangs and the helplessness of the NCPD and decided to take matters into their own hands. They gathered some equipment, refreshed themselves on their training, and then took to the streets.

The gang was created to keep thugs and hoodlums at bay, and the charismatic leaders gave people a way protect themselves and seek retribution for the damage caused by other gangs. 6th Street gangers today are veterans of more recent conflicts, retired military and discharged corporate security officers who were unable to find other employment. The rest of the gang consists of civilians who received military training after joining.

Their main headquarters of the gang is in Arroyo but the other districts under their control have their own local HQs that are responsible for patrolling the neighborhood and monitoring the gang's facilities.

Source of income
6th Street's operations came to include robbery, extortion, and gun smuggling. The group also had extensive connections with Nomad groups inside and outside of Night City.

The gang also steals and modifies cars. 6th Street have talented techies and run many garages and workshops around the city. They offer services as a combat taxi for hire, which makes them especially popular among edgerunners and mercenaries.

Despite their criminal nature, the gang is mostly tolerated by corporations and police forces, unless 6th Street gangers cause trouble outside their established turf. Military oriented corporations have customers for high-end products and the NCPD's job is made easier by the ersatz law that the gang maintains in their neighborhoods.