Today`s Gangs:

Today’s Gangs:
How to Recognize the Signs
Homefront Protective Group
www.homefrontprotect.com
Today’s
Gangs:
How to recognize them!
Gang Recognition
Today’s gangs represent (display their affiliation) in a
variety of ways. From the discreet to the overt, here
a some of the ways they do it!
Gang Recognition Checklist
Color of Clothing (Dominant color, excessive color)
Hat (Color, Logo, Symbol, Tilted to side)
Sleeves (is one sleeve rolled up?)
(is one sleeve worn with
one arm out?)
Eyebrows, Hair (Shaved, Razor cuts)
Shirt/Coat (Color, Logo, Symbol)
Buttons (Buttons face the wrong way)
Belt (Slid to one side)
Bandana (Color, hanging out of pocket)
Pockets (Is the inside of the
pocket colored
with a marker?)
Pants (Is one leg rolled up?)
Socks (Color, Symbol)
Laces (Color, laced to one side)
Sneakers/Shoes (Designer, Color, Symbol)
Colors
• When the age of leather jackets as a gang
identifier/uniform dissipated during the late 1960s,
it gave rise to colors. Gangs, such as the Bloods
and Crips, chose colors, such as Red and Blue,
respectively, to display their affiliation
(representation).
• Colors can be displayed in hats, shoes, etc…
• The most common gang colors are:
Red
Blue
Black White Gray Yellow
Symbols
There are a variety of symbols used by gangs. What one symbol means to you
can mean something else to a gang.
Grooming
Some gangs will shave their eyebrows, heads, or other facial hair a certain way
or dye their hair a certain color to show their gang affiliation
Dominance
Left over Right
or
Right over Left
Gang Rivalries, People vs Folk, will use this to show dominance over the other
Variations:
•Right arm folded over left (vice versa)
•Left foot in front of right (vice versa)
•Hat tilted left or right
•Left or right arm out of coat/shirt sleeve
NOTICE: His Belt is worn
on the RIGHT side
Wearing a belt to one side, rather than the other side, could indicate another form
of dominance. This can also be accomplished by tying shoelaces to one side.
Dances
Dances like the C-Walk (Crip Walk) or B-Hop (Blood Hop)
are dances used to represent a gang
Handsigns or Stacking
Certain handsigns represent specific gangs
Stacking is when a series of handsigns spell out a word or words
Accessories
Jewelry, Bandanas, Sneakers, etc…
Some types of jewelry, clothing accessories, bandanas, etc.. with certain
colors or symbols could be a gang representation
Tattoos
• Gang Tattoos come in many varieties
• The most common gang tattoos include
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
A 5 point star or 5 point crown
A 6 point star
A spider web
Hands praying to God
A picture of a dog
The gang’s name spelled out
Roman numeral 13 (XIII) or 14 (XIV)
Hand Tattoos
Hand
tattoos are
usually
located on
the web of
the hand
Marks, Scars
Gangs will also burn marks on their skin to show a lifelong allegiance
Gang Graffiti
Gang graffiti is easier to read than tagger graffiti. Gangs are sending a message,
while taggers seek fame through artistic designs.
Designer Clothing
Designer
Meaning
Gang
Calvin Klein: (CK) Crip Killer
Bloods
British Knights: (BK) Blood Killer
Crips
KSWISS: Kill Slobs When I See Slobs Crips
DKNY: Disciple Killer of New York Latin Kings
FuBu: Forever Understood Bloods United Bloods
•Gangs will show their affiliation through the wearing of Designer Clothing
•The Initials of the DESIGNER clothing can represent a gang’s name
•The name of the clothing can spell out an ACRONYM representing the Gang
•The COLORS or SYMBOLS in the clothing can be used to represent the gang
Sports Apparel
Team
Gang
LA Kings:
Latin Kings
North Carolina State: (NC)
Neighborhood Crips
Chicago BULLS: Bloods United Live Longer Sucka
Bloods
Georgetown Hoyas: (G and the colors)
Gangster Disciples
Michigan State University (M)
Mara Salvatrucha
Florida Marlins (F)
Folk Nation
NY Yankees: (Blue)
Crips
Sports Apparel can signify a gang’s identifiers by means of the team’s colors,
Symbols or ACRONYM spelling out a phrase.
National Gang Statistics
Source:
The National Youth Gang Center
www.iir.com\NYGC
According to the National Youth
Gang Survey conducted by The
National Youth Gang Center:
NOTE: A large portion of the surveys were never answered. The numbers
are a
lot higher.
There are:
• 731,500 Gang Members in the US
• 21,500 separate Gangs
• The average age is 18
• 90% of gang members are MALE
• 10% of gang members are FEMALE
• 49% of gang members are HISPANIC/LATINO
• 34% of gang members are African American
• 12% of gang members are CAUCASION
• 5% of gang members are Asian or other ethnic groups
• DRUG SALES is the most prevalent of crimes amongst gangs
731,500 Gang Members in the US
21,500 separate Gangs
The average age is 18
90% of gang members are MALE
10% of gang members are FEMALE
49% of gang members are
HISPANIC/LATINO
34% of gang members are African
American
12% of gang members are
CAUCASION
5% of gang members are Asian
or other ethnic groups
DRUG SALES is the most
prevalent of crimes amongst
gangs
How to identify if your
child/student is
involved with a GANG:
He or She:
Refers to his friends as:
Gang, HOMIES, FAMILY, CREW,
CAMP, CLIQUE, NATION
Wears only one or two colors of
clothing exclusively
• Sports Apparel
• Designer Clothing
• Symbols
Suddenly starts wearing
bandanas in the these colors
•
•
•
•
•
Red
Blue/Purple
Yellow
Black
Silver/Gray
May have unexplained bruises or
cuts
Possesses unexplained cash, and
expensive items
Suddenly avoids childhood
friends for new ones
Refuses to allow parents to meet
new friends
Outwardly displays RACISM
Possesses a weapon
Withdraws from/refuses to go to
usual family functions
Becomes involved in Graffiti
• New interest in spray paint, markers,
etching devices
• Missing spray paint from the house
• Missing markers
• Possesses blank packaging labels
Takes on a nickname
• People calling the house asking for
him/her by a new nickname
• Has several nicknames
Becomes involved in DRUGS
• Sleeps Late
• Very groggy in the morning
• Paraphernalia found in his house
– Small plastic bags, rolling papers, syringes, tin
foils,
• Missing medicine (valium, vicodin, etc…)
• Missing cough syrup
What should parents do?
1. Learn gang awareness! Look around you!

In your town, school, community, home!
2. Sneak, Snoop, Illegal Searches FIRST
3. Talk to your kids about what you have observed in their
room, their clothing, their friends, their behavior!
4. Do not be confrontational. Be understanding!
5. Question unexplained money and expensive items! Don’t
be afraid to embarrass them! Better red than dead!
6. Ask to meet their friends!
7. Spy on them (secretly)!
8. Accidentally on purpose meet them and their friends on
their territory, where they hangout!
9. Get help!
10. Accept the help. Its up the you!
East Coast Gang Investigators
Association
www.ecgia.org