Police Magazine
MENU
SEARCHMENUSEARCH
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department suspended seven of its deputies believed to be involved with a jail clique called the "Jump Out Boys" that celebrate aggressive policing.
Read More →
Anthony Garcia, 22, had tattooed the crime scene of a 2004 liquor store shooting on his chest, helping deputies solve the open case.
Read More →
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.
Read More →
The Aryan Brotherhood, which is also known as "AB" or "The Brand," is a primarily white prison gang with about 15,000 members in and out of prison. According to the FBI, the gang makes up only one percent of the prison population, but is responsible for 18 percent of all murders in the federal corrections system. Members use symbols in their tattoos such as swastikas, SS lightning bolts, the number 666, and Celtic imagery.
Read More →
In addition to advertising gang membership, tattoos provide other details about the bearer. For the incarcerated, images of chains and locks represent the loss of freedom; an hourglass or clock face without hands indicate doing time; a string of numbers may be an inmate's prison ID; one laughing face, one crying face means play now, pay later or my happy life, my sad life; a tombstone with numbers may indicate years of incarceration; the face of a female crying usually means someone on the outside is waiting for them. Caption information provided by POLICE gang expert Richard Valdemar.
Read More →
Tattoos are an excellent tool for law enforcement and corrections officers to use to identify known or suspected gang members. This gallery includes examples of tattoos worn by predominanly Latino gangs such as the Mexican Mafia, MS-13, and the Latin Kings. The number "13" is used because M (or La Eme) is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet and is used to signify the Mexican Mafia, which uses Sureños—gangs that swear allegiance to the Mexican Mafia—to carry out its orders from prison.
Read More →Using an operational tattoo shop as a business front, the Richmond County, Ga., Sheriff’s Office Gang Task Force conducted undercover investigations to reduce gun sales by local street gangs.
Read More →
One afternoon about five years ago, I was summoned from my desk at the detective division of a major Southern California urban sheriff's department and asked to meet one of the staff drill instructors at our academy gymnasium.
Read More →
Under the new policy, officers with "excessive" body art, including tattoos and piercings, will have to cover up while on duty.
Read More →