Gang awareness and warning signs–the first step in prevention

“We haven’t found a city in Arizona yet without gang influence,” DPS Detective Ed McNeil told the 100 or more parents and concerned citizens in attendance at the gang awareness training at Maricopa Wells Middle School Monday night.

“In fact, there are at least 1,800 or more known gangs in Arizona,” added McNeil.

McNeil, representing the DPS Gang Bureau explained the various gang indicators, including clothing items like hats, bandanas (“rags”), boxers, belts, shoelaces, belt buckles and jewelry worn to show gang allegiance. Major sports teams’ jerseys and hats are often altered with gang logos. Hand signs are used to greet fellow gang members or to provoke or challenge rivals.

Hats canted to one side indicate affiliation with Crips (canted to left) or Bloods (canted to right). Crips wear blue, and Bloods wear red. Crips like the British Knight shoes, believing the initials stand for “Blood Killer;” Bloods like the Calvin Klein clothing line (“Crip Killer”).

“When we arrived at the middle school on April 13, you could have drawn a line down the middle of the library,” said McNeil, “half red and half blue.” Law enforcement officers interviewed almost 50 students that day.

“Since 1991 Arizona’s population has been growing faster than any other state’s,” said McNeil. Gang members from California are bringing their problems here. We get them a little later, but many are here to avoid the “three strike” law in California, he explained.

California divides at Bakersfield with the northern California gangs (nortenos) choosing to identify with the number 14 or tattooing themselves with four dots, the “Raza,” which stands for “my crazy white life.” Southern California gangs identify with the number 13, using three dots for “Mi Vida Loca,” or my crazy life.

“Our mission is to try to document criminal gang activity,” said McNeil, who explained that gang membership eventually escalates into drive-bys, shootings, homicides, assaults, narcotics, burglary and criminal damage. Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah share a gang database to train members and their activities.

McNeil and Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) officer Jerrud Rosson have been and will be present at various gang awareness trainings in the Maricopa Unified School District.

Both urged parents to be aware of their children’s activities. “MySpace is a hub of bad things happening,” said McNeil, indicating that the local incident on April 13 was publicized there.

“Look in your kids’ notebooks,” said McNeil. School books, back packs, notebooks and the inside of hat brims are all places for gang information and signs, often done in Old English script.

The officers also talked about graffiti and taggers. “Graffiti is used to mark gang territory with spray paint, wide-tipped markers or glass etching pencils.” Parents were urged to take note of such items in their children’s possession.

Graffiti is a crime that costs money and is tough to catch; it is a felony to deface a church or school. If citizens see graffiti being done, they should call law enforcement and provide a good description. They should NOT attempt to intervene. “The best thing is to paint over it as soon as possible,” noted McNeil.

Taggers are individuals who pride themselves on their street art; they represent non-traditional gangs, responsible for millions of dollars in property damage. They compete with other taggers for recognition and may be violent if citizens attempt to stop them. They particularly like to “tag” trains because of the national exposure for the “art.”

Detective McNeil provided his contact information for citizens or parents: [email protected] or by phone at (520) 437-7423, except on Sundays and Mondays when he is off duty. He urged residents to visit www.knowgangs.com for further information.

The neighborhood gang prevention/gang awareness packets of information distributed at Monday’s training are available from the school district and School Resource Officer Corporal Kent Ogaard.