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Newsby Staff WriterFebruary 3, 2010

Gang Members Increasingly Using Twitter and Facebook to Brag

The nation's gangs are increasingly turning to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which is helping law enforcement identify members and learn about their organizations.

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Inside the Badge by Richard ValdemarJanuary 25, 2010

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.

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Newsby Staff WriterJanuary 22, 2010

Los Angeles Gang Tour Draws International Tourists

Tourists from Europe and Australia are learning about Los Angeles gangs with the help of Alfred Lomas, who is leading "LA Gang Tours" to show them graffiti artists and gang-member hangouts, NPR.com reports.

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Newsby Staff WriterNovember 24, 2009

White Supremacist Gets His Death Row Wish

White supremacist Billy Joe Johnson is heading to his new Death Row home for killing a fellow gang member who gave a television interview about PEN1, a Southern California gang affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood, the Orange County Register reports.

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Inside the Badge by Richard ValdemarSeptember 28, 2009

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."

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Photo Galleriesby Staff WriterAugust 7, 2009

Prison and Gang Ink Symbols

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.

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Photo Galleriesby Staff WriterAugust 7, 2009

Prison and Gang Ink Symbols

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.

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Inside the Badge by Richard ValdemarAugust 6, 2009

Countering Academic Gang Experts

When interviewed by sociologists, gang members commonly lie. They do this for several reasons including: to appear less criminally culpable, because the academic interviewer has little ability to verify and check the facts so it’s fun to BS them, and because discussing gang business with people outside the gang is prohibited. Consequently, a lot of academic gang member interviews are full of inaccurate information.

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Inside the Badge by Richard ValdemarJuly 29, 2009

Gang Members Practice Their Skills

One at a time each of the three targets got out of the vehicle, walked in a big circle around the McDonald’s, went inside, only to return to the vehicle with a small drink. Then the next target did the exact same thing. Finally the third did the same. In tactical police terminology this is a clue that they were casing the McDonalds before robbing it.

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Newsby Staff WriterJune 18, 2009

Indictment Offers Details of 18th Street Gang's Workings

A court document charges about 40 members and associates of the Columbia Lil Cycos -- a clique of the 18th Street gang -- with being involved in a racketeering conspiracy that allegedly involved murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping, and other crimes.

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