Sheriff's Department

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Gang Awareness Information

"Serving Racine County Since 1836"

Hardcore members generally comprise only a small portion of a gang. They are the most street wise and knowledgeable in legal matters. They may engage in violence or illegal activities, but focus on encouraging others to do so. They may frequently be in and out of jail. Hardcore members are considered very powerful and influential in the gang.

Regular members generally have been initiated into gangs at a relatively young age. They wear clothing, attend functions and bear tattoos of the gang. These individuals tend to be back up hardcore gang members and will themselves become a likely hardcore gang member.

Gang member associates or "wannabees" may perhaps be the most dangerous group because they need to prove themselves to older gang members. These individuals are not official members but act like or claim to be from a gang. Some may have no concept of the value of life or death.

Potentials or "could be's" are generally younger youths and may live in or near areas of gang activity or have family members who are involved in gangs. The greatest chance of successful gang intervention can occur with these individuals.

Female gang members or associates may be in an auxiliary group to a male gang, or may be an associate of a male gang member. Increasingly, females are forming their own gangs and may be responsible for violent activities as they seek to prove themselves.

Some risk factors:

Family tradition of gang involvement

Peer pressure

Intimidation from other gang members

Lack of love and respect

Lack of family relationships

Lack of discipline

Low income family

Single parent households

Lack of positive role models

Lack of support mechanisms

People vs. Folk

In the upper Midwest, to include Milwaukee, Chicago and our local area, contemporary street gangs fall under two umbrella groups, who are rivals and enemies of one another: "People" and "Folks." These two groups are not gangs in and among themselves, but represent a collection of individual gang factions. They could be compared, in a way, to groups of American sports teams that fall under the heading of "National League" or "American League." The west coast has similar umbrella groups, identified as "Bloods" and "Crips."

The following is some individual gang factions that have been identified in the upper Midwest, several of which are currently active in the Racine County area:

FOLKS (gang insignias incorporate a six-point star)
Ambrose, Ashland Vikings, Black Gangsters, Black Gangster Disciples, C-Notes, Campbell Boys, Harrison Gents, Imperial Gangsters, Insane Popes, La Raza, Latin Disciples, Latin Dragons, Latin Eagles, Latin Jivers, Latin Lovers, Latin Souls, Orchestra Albany, Party People, Satan Disciples, Simon City Royals, Spanish Cobras, Spanish Disciples, Spanish Gangsters, Two Two Boys and Two Sixers.

PEOPLE (gang insignias incorporate a five-point star)
Bishops, Black P Stone, Cullerton Deuces, El Rukns, Gaylords, Insane Dueces, Insane Unknowns, Latin Counts,, Latin Kings, Latin Saints, Mickey Cobras (Cobrastones), Pachuchos, P.R. Stones, Spanish Lords, Vice Lords, Almighty Conservative Vice Lord Nation, Insane Vise Lords, Traveling Vice Lords, Etc...

Folks

Gangs that are currently active and who are becoming increasingly troublesome in Southeastern Wisconsin and Racine County include:
Folks:

  Black Gangster Disciple Nation:

   Black Gangster Disciples
Black Gangsters
Gangster Disciples
"GD"
etc...

  Imperial Gangsters

  Spanish Gangsters

  Imperial Spanish Gangsters

  Brothers of the Struggle

Spanish Cobras

Shorty with Authority

  F.W.A. (Females with an Attitude)

People

Gangs that are currently active and who are becoming increasingly troublesome in Southeastern Wisconsin and Racine County include:
People:

  Almighty Conservative Vice Lord Nation:

  Vice Lords, "VL"
Traveling Vice Lords
Insane Vice Lords, "IVL"
Conservative Vice Lords, "CVL
etc...

  Boulevard Latin King Nation

  Latin Kings
"BLK"
"LK"
etc...

  40 Ounce

White Supremacist / White Power Groups

In addition to the "People" and "Folks" nations, whose members are predominantly Black and Hispanic, the following gangs or groups of white youths have recently been identified, and are currently very active in the Racine area:

United White Youth (Also known as White Power)
Skinheads
Church of the Creator

These groups of white youth are not the typical street gang. They do not generally claim control over territory in the community. These individuals are part of the Idealistic Gang culture, in that they share a common belief or goal.

According to several teenagers, individuals appear at local Racine area high schools weekly, attempting to recruit them into the organizations mentioned above. According to the students, these people freely hand out literature and material, and even offer things for sale such as T- shirts and the groups' "bible."

This information has been corroborated by the confiscation of such material by law enforcement officers, as well as school officials.

Gang members use graffiti, hand signals and tattoos to signify their membership in a gang and to communicate their gang affiliation to others. Each street gang has its own unique signal, sign, colors, jewelry and dress. These serve to identify gang members and to promote solidarity.

Each gang vigorously protects its symbols from insults by rival gang members. The greatest humiliation for a gang is to have one of its symbols degraded. If you see an emblem or symbol displayed upside down, it is a degradation to that gang and was most likely written by a rival gang member. Such degradation id the basis for most gang violence.

GRAFFITI
One of the first indications that gangs are in your area is the appearance of graffiti.
Many people falsely assume graffiti represents thoughtless vandalism. To the gang member, graffiti is a clear marking of territorial boundaries and serves as a warning and challenge to rival gangs. Graffiti can be found anywhere. It is most commonly found on garages, business walls, schools, abandoned buildings, and bedroom and basement walls of gang members. The purpose of all gang graffiti is to glorify the gang.

HAND SIGNS
Hand signs are used by gangs as a means of communicating gang affiliations and/or to challenge rival gangs.
Gang members employ several means of non-verbal communication to acknowledge their gang or to challenge rival gangs, including hand signals. This is referred to as "throwing signs" or "flashing signs."
These signs are made by forming letters or numbers with the hands and fingers depicting the gang symbols or initials. By using these signs, the gang member can show which gang he belongs to and issue challenges to other gangs in the area. When a gang member "flashes" a sign, it is referred to as "representing." Some gangs have adopted the deaf alphabet (sign language) to represent their gang signs/symbols.

TATTOOS
Tattoos are gang graffiti on the body, used to identify the wearer as a member of a particular gang. Tattoos usually mimic graffiti. They may include the name, initials or symbols of the gang.
There is no rule for determining the number, size or professionalism of the gang member's tattoos. Most are homemade or "prison tattoos." They are not confined to any particular part of the body and may be found on any part of the body. It is not so much where the tattoo is, but rather which side of the body it is on.


The following is a list of identifiers to assist you in the recognition or identification of gang members that you may come across in the course of your job.

Remember, just because a person has one of these items, it doesn't mean they are a gang member. With the popular trend of wearing team starter jackets, you have to be extremely careful. You should consider the following things when you see them and then look at the total picture. consider tattoos, graffiti and hand signs also. A person should have two or three identifiers before making a judgement as to his or her gang affiliation.

A right and left rule applies to most street gangs in this area. There are two factions or alliances that every gang falls under. They are "people' and "folk". "People" are left oriented and "folk" are right oriented. In addition top the following identifiers, the same left/right rule can be applied to belt buckles, bandannas and other items (hanging from a pocket or tied to a leg or arm.)

EARRINGS
Earrings may be a replica of a gang sign, such as a dollar sign, crescent moon, etc. The member will usually wear one earring, and which ear it is in will show either a "folks" or a "people" alliance.

HATS OR BASEBALL CAPS
The ball cap is the most common type worn today. The color is not so important as the logo and the way it is tilted (referred to as "bumped"). A right tilt is a "folk" affiliation and a left tilt is a "people" affiliation. Also, many members will write graffiti under the bill and inside the cap.

STARTER/TEAM JACKETS
The color and logo is important here. The logo will have certain items in them that are symbols of the gang. An example is the logo of the Orlando Magic. The five point star in the "Magic" is a symbol of the "people" nation. The black and gold color of the New Orleans Saints jacket are the colors of the Latin Kings gang. Again, caution must be used with this identifier because of the great popularity of this type of clothing.

STARS
The five pointed star is a symbol of the People Nation and the six pointed star (the Jewish Star of David) is a symbol of the Folks Nation.

CROWNS
The People Nation use a crown as a symbol. It will have pointed tips and have either three or five tips. Some Folk Nation gangs will use a crown also, but the tips will be rounded, and most likely will have six tips.

RABBIT EARS (PLAYBOY BUNNY)
If the rabbit has straight ears, it is People oriented, and if the front ear is bent, it is Folks oriented.

ATHLETIC SHOES
It is not so much the brand of the shoes, but the color of the laces and how they are laced. The colors will represent the gang colors and the shoes will be laced up the side, and which side follows the right/left rule. Also, some brands are important. An example is the Converse shoe which has a five pointed star on it. Gang members will also write graffiti under the tongue.

BIB OVERALLS
The gang member may leave one suspender undone. The one that is buttoned will be on the side of his domination (right/left rule). Again, this is another area for caution as bibs are very popular and it is trendy to leave one side undone.

POCKETS
One pocket may be pulled out, or the inside of the pocket may be colored in the gang member's colors.

PANT LEG CUFFS
One pant leg is cuffed or rolled up on one side or the other. The same right/left rule applies.

COLORS
Contemporary street gangs usually identify with specific gang colors. The predominant gang colors can be used in a variety of circumstances, to include things such as dress and graffiti.

VOCABULARY
Specific terms such as "gangbanger" (one who commits gang crimes) have evolved within the gang subculture to demonstrate affiliation. Labels such as "folks" (Disciples) and "people" (Vice Lords) divide street gangs into sub-groups. Phrases such as "All is One" (Disciples) and "All is Well" (Vice Lords) serve as greetings to separate a "home boy" (Associate) from a rival gang member. An individual's use of gang slang over time is an important indicator of gang affiliation.

MONIKERS (individual identifiers)
Street names such as "Lil Lee," "Shorty Mac," "Rock Man" and"D-Dog" conceal a gang members true identity from the community.

Black Gangster Disciple Nation("Folks")

"Represents" to the right
Motto: "All is One"
Colors: Black and Blue
Territory: Predominantly South Side

Symbols:

Six-pointed star
heart
horn
sword
wings
pitch fork
tail
dollar sign

Letters:

"B"
"G"
"D"
"N"
"360"
"720"="3rd World Six Point Organization"

Almighty Conservative Vice Lord Nation ("People")

"Represents" to the left
Motto: "All is Well" 
Colors: Black and Red
Territory: Predominantly North Side

Symbols:

Five-pointed star
crescent moon
top hat
martini glass
pyramid
cane
playboy bunny
upside down pitchfork

Letters:

"VL" (Vice Lords)
"IV" (Insane Vice Lords)
"ICV" (Insane Conservative Vice Lords)
"TVL" (Traveling Vice Lords)
"AVL" (Almighty Vice Lords)
"CVL" (Conservative Vice Lords)

Boulevard Latin Kings ("People")

"Represents" to the left
Colors: Black and Gold
Territory: Predominantly North Side

Symbols:

Five-pointed crown
five-pointed star
pitch forks (pointed down)

Letters:

"B"
"L"
"K"
"N"

Where Does Gang Activity Affect You?

Schools: senior high, middle and elementary schools
Movie Theaters , arcades
Parks and recreation centers
Sporting events
Shopping centers
Apartment and multi-dwelling complexes
Grocery and convenience stores
Public transportation
Hospital emergency departments

How Does Gang Activity Affect You?

Increases crime Increases cost for police and city services
Increases cost for security services for businesses and schools
Increases burden on social service systems and emergency and hospital systems
Influences business recruitment and overall city economic development
Impacts overall image of the city
Causes trauma, grief, confusion and depression over the injury or death of a loved one due to gang violence
Increases likelihood of you becoming a victim of crime
Damages personal property through acts of vandalism
Increases fear for your personal safety or the safety of your neighborhood
May cause you to become a victim of harassment, intimidation or other, more violent acts such as drive by shootings
DEATH?

Why Do Kids Join Gangs?

  Financial benefits from drug sales, burglary, robbery and other criminal activities
Status and excitement of gang activity
Attention, affection, belonging and recognition
Protecting self from other gangs or hostile individuals
Sexual relations
Gang serves as an extended family
Family tradition

Causes of Gang Environments

Dysfunctional families
Poor economic conditions
Lack of role models
Low self esteem
Drugs
Protection/Safety/Survival

Typical Pre-Gang Behavior

Identification or affiliation with gangs usually does not happen overnight. Pre-Gang behavior usually begins at the elementary school age.

Children join gangs for a variety of reasons. Although there are no positive ways to predict who will join a gang and who will not, some indications that a youth is headed towards gang membership are:

poor progress or achievement in school
truancy from school lack of hobbies or something to do with leisure time
frequent negative contact with police
draws gang symbols or insignias
problems at home
puts tattoos on himself
residence in a neighborhood where gangs exist
friends are gang members or "dress down" in gang attire
wants to dress in traditional gang clothes (i.e., baggy pants, oversized T-shirts, bandannas, dark sunglasses)

While the above items are characteristics of gang involvement, some youth who join or associate with gangs do not dress in the traditional clothes and do not exhibit conspicuous behavior that indicates gang involvement. Parents must be aware of the behavior and activities of their children. Continual behavior and communication interaction between parents and youth is imperative to prevent gang membership.

School Administrators

Identify school as neutral grounds and adopt a "no tolerance" policy for gang activity.
Distinguish between youthful misbehavior and a crime.
Prioritize the enforcement of gang-related school behavior codes, including assaults, possession of weapons, drugs, beepers, etc.
Train school personnel in gang identification and handling.
Create a mechanism for mediation of youth conflicts.
Institute anti-gang and anti-drug education programs.
Establish cooperative relationships with police and social service personnel servicing your school.

Teachers and Staff

  Firm, fair and consistent treatment of all students.
Incorporate gang issues into class lessons, including rights and responsibilities, decision making and problem solving skills.
Communicate suspected gang involvement and activity to administrators.
Establish communication lines with parents.
Be aware of available resources for youth needs.

Parents

Talk with children early and regularly about gangs and drugs.
Be aware of and do not permit gang identifiers.
Eliminate youth access to weapons.
Do not permit children to sponsor or attend unsupervised parties.
Report gang activity to police and school officials.
Teach children constructive problem solving skills.
Serve as a positive role model. 

Youth

Understand youth rights and responsibilities.
Report gang-related incidents to adults-parents, school officials and police.
Become involved in positive activities and alternatives to gangs.
Resolve problems without the use of violence.
Serve as a role model to other youth.