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New York City's storied, much studied gangs are no longer the tight organizations they once were, fiercely protective of territory. Instead, they roam from the outer boroughs to the bright lights of Manhattan and Times Square, looking for targets of opportunity. A new law-enforcement decoy squad is ready for them. Riding the gangs' lifelines, the subways, and disguised as vulnerable straphangers, police are making youths pay a price for roving lawlessness. So far this year, the decoys have caught 524 would-be pickpockets and muggers and arrested them on the spot. --By John S. DeMott. Reported by Jon D. Hull/Los Angeles, with other bureaus