Gangs: Page 13

Gangs at the Amusement Park: Turning Fun Zones into Shooting Galleries

Most amusement parks have security forces, however, none of them are armed. Many forbid security from carrying; flashlights, pepper spray, or any less-lethal means of subduing a violent park patron.

Sureño Tattoos and Symbols

Sureños can be found in every major city in the U.S. They can be found in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and South America. The big transnational super gangs such as Florence, 18th Street, and Mara Salvatrucha threaten the stability of some Central American nations.

Surenos often imprint tattoos on themselves of 'SUR' (Southern United Raza) and the number '13,' a reference to the 13th letter of the alphabet, M, to show their allegiance to La Eme, the Mexican Mafia. Image courtesy of Richard Valdemar.

Gangs in the Military: Loyalty to Homeboys or Homeland?

Web Extra: Read the National Gang Intelligence Center's Feb. 15 report on gang infiltration of law enforcement and corrections agencies.

Graffiti referring to Los Angeles-based gangs is scrawled on a military vehicle in the Middle East. Image courtesy of Richard Valdemar.

Criminal Gangs and the Perfect Storm

If you live in one of the cities that accepted Katrina refugees, you know what followed. While most Katrina survivors were appreciative of their host communities and generally law abiding, the criminal element, mostly gangs, soon returned to their thug lifestyles.

Photo courtesy of [junio] Don't think just shoot

Gangster Clothing: Dressing for Success In Prison

No one in a predatory environment wanted tight, close-fitting clothing. Status in custody was displayed by wearing new, especially large baggy clothing, ironed or pressed to military-like creases.

Tavo (a gang moniker) poses for photos in homes in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles in the 1990s. Photo courtesy of Richard Valdemar.

In Foot Pursuit of a Grinch

As we began our shift, we passed a residential area in the Mariana Maravillas gang turf. I saw two middle-aged men coming out of a sliding glass door at the side of one residence. The house was on my side (passenger side) of the car and like Santa Claus each man carried a big cloth bag slung over a shoulder. For a nanosecond one of the hype burglars' eyes met mine.

How to Assess Gang Threats

Most gangs frown on a policy of open Jihad against the police. Their natural enemies are not the police but rival gangs. Traditionally, the police were more of an annoyance and only collateral targets if at all.

The Grape Street Gang, the CCO, and Honcho Day

In the mid-1980s these crack and PCP drug wars exploded into unprecedented violence and open gang wars on the streets of Los Angeles and Compton. The evolution of fortified crack houses with iron sally port entrances and video surveillance and the appearance of gang members wearing body armor who engaged in firefights using military-style weapons and multiple shooters, forced the police to play catch-up tactically. And the cost in human lives was staggering.

The Rise of Muslim Gangs

In 2001 large numbers of Somali immigrants began migrating to Maine bringing their clan rivalries and their love of khat with them. Since then these Somali rival gangs, or "clans" as they prefer, have taken root in such far flung U.S. cities as; Lewiston (Maine), Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Kansas City and Garden City (Kansas), and San Diego.

The Buela Street Witch

Vetrovec and I were at the south window in hyper-vigilance mode, when one of the Geraghty homeboys pulled down the plywood covering the living room door, and the three Geraghty homeboys stepped inside.

Photo courtesy of Leonard John Matthews (Flickr.com).

Failed and Fruitful Tactics for Combating Gangs

Any teacher, preacher, lawyer, cop, psychologist, gang crime victim, good mother, or good father would be more effective in gang prevention than a dozen "ex-gang members."

Los Wonder Boys and the Mexican Sureño Movement

Mexican authorities continue to report a steady rise in "Sureño" gang activity in San Luis, Mexico. This has become a serious concern for both Mexican law enforcement and the general public.

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