Lake County HIDTA

Northwest

Indiana

Gangs

Lake County HIDTA

&

Indiana National Guard Counterdrug Task Force

Source References:

www.chicagogangs.org

www.knowgangs.com

(Photos of individuals on this presentation are from the above open-

source internet websites. The Lake County HIDTA makes no

assumptions or representations about the commission of criminal acts

by the individuals depicted in this presentation.)

Definition of a Gang

“An ongoing organization,

association, or group of three or more

persons who have a common interest

and/or activity characterized by the

commission of, or involvement in, a

pattern of criminal or delinquent

conduct.”

FBI-VGTOF

CRIMINAL GANG ACTIVITY

DRUGS!!! VANDALISM

ROBBERY/

BURGLARY/

THEFT

VIOLENT

CRIMES

BATTERY/

INTIMIDATION

Why Join Gangs???

- Socio-Economic Factors, Neighborhood Values

- Family / Home Factors

- Need for Belonging, Respect

- Pressure, Intimidation, and/or Fear from Other Gangs

and/or Gang Members

- Popularity of Gang Subculture

- Desire to Live a Life in the “Fast Lane” (fast money, girls,

etc.)

Origin Of

Chicago-style Street gangs

Although completely unconnected to present-day street gangs, Chicago

gang members of all races are proud of the Windy City’s gangster history.

Many gangs throughout the city originally attempted to structure

themselves on the model made famous by Al Capone’s Italian mob during

the Prohibition Era.

The 1950s-1970s brought about a time of civil

unrest amongst different races, resulting in the

creation of criminal street gangs formed along racial

and neighborhood lines. Dynamic gang leaders,

such as Gustavo Colon (Latin Kings), Larry Hoover

(Gangster Disciples), and Jeff Fort (Black P Stones),

created and strengthened Chicago’s largest modern-

day street gangs.

The 1970s-1980s saw many gang leaders arrested and

imprisoned for long-term sentences. This created the need

for intra-gang alliances to be formed. As a result, David

Barksdale (Black Disciples), along with Larry Hoover, formed

the FOLK NATION. To rival the Folks, Bobby Gore (Vice

Lords), along with Gustavo Colon and Jeff Fort, formed the

PEOPLE NATION.

VS.

People vs. Folk

People

-Left Side Emphasis

-“All is Well”

-Red/Black (also Gold)

-Number “5”

-Five-Pointed Star

-Pitchforks Down

Common NWI Gangs:

-Vice Lords (all factions)

-Latin Kings

-Black P Stones

-Four Corner Hustlers

-Spanish Vice Lords

-Latin Counts

-Aztec Souls

Folk

-Right Side Emphasis

-“All is One”

-Blue/Black (also Khaki/Tan)

-Number “6”

-Six-Pointed star

-Pitchforks Up

Common NWI Gangs:

-Gangster Disciples

-Two-Six Nation

-Latin Dragons

-Spanish Gangster Disciples

-Imperial Gangsters

-Satan Disciples

-Insane Deuces

-Insane King Cobras

-Sureños (independent, but ally

with Folk Nation)

Rival gang members join together for various reasons:

- Neighborhood

- Narcotics / Guns Sales (Profit, “All About the Money”)

- Protection from other gangs

- Friends and/or acquaintances from school or the neighborhood

Gang names such as: “Renegades”, “Outlaws”, “ABM”, “ABK”, “Players

Circle Mafia” and neighborhood-named gangs (“12th Street Players”,

“Trey-Nine”, etc.)

Due to a lack of overall structure in the national organizations, these kinds

of gangs are usually hybrids of traditional African-American gangs (such as

Gangster Disciple-Vice Lord alliances).

Hybrids of Hispanic gangs are rare, but they do sometimes occur (former

Latin Kings allied themselves with former Latin Counts in Chicago to form

the “12th Street Players”).

“Hybrid” Gangs

Crews

-“Party” Crews: group of individuals/friends who do not wish to join

traditional gangs, but are known to be involved in criminal activity.

-“Crazy 8’s”, “Midwest Players,” “Krazy Ass Latinos”, “Modern Day

Soldiers”

-Tagging / Graffiti Crews: group of individuals, usually juveniles, who have a

common interest in painting graffiti in public places and form painting groups.

-“United and Lighted”, “Tag Piratz Crew”

-Either can, and many times will, evolve into a street gang.

GANG

MIGRATION

TRENDS

GANG MIGRATION From Chicago and Suburbs into Indiana: - Proximity of gangs from South Side of Chicago and South Suburbs.

- Chicago and suburban public housing demolition; residents spread throughout

Northern/Central Indiana.

- Spread of Section 8 housing in Northwest Indiana.

- Ramped up law enforcement activities against gang-related activity in Chicago and

suburbs.

- Gangs take advantage of state line due to Indiana’s less strict gun laws and

gang-related crime statutes.

From Northern Lake County cities of Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary: - Movement south and east of gangs and gang members (heavy migration into Highland,

Griffith, Munster, Schererville, Merrillville, Lake Station, Hobart, Portage, Cedar Lake,

Valparaiso, Michigan City).

- Gang members moving out of larger gang-infested cities to more quiet communities to

escape gang involvement, retaliation, violence, and police harassment.

- Followed by recruiting, narcotics, criminal activity, and violence.

- Gang imitation/emulation (due to pop culture, rap music, History Channel

“Gangland”)

From Out-of-Region into Chicagoland: - Spread of “East Coast-West Coast” gangs (Crips, Bloods, MS-13, Surenos, etc.).

Eras of Migration (1940-1980)

- Nearly all of the Chicago area’s modern street gangs began between 1940-1970,

mostly in the south and west side of the city.

- Beginning as neighborhood sets, the gangs eventually grew, organized, and

spread throughout the city and Cook County.

Eras of Migration (1970-2000)

-The incarceration of nearly all the Chicago street gangs’ “founding fathers”, the

need for a wider narcotics market, increasing gang-related violence in Chicago,

increased law enforcement crackdowns on gangs, and the destruction of many of

the city’s housing projects and government housing structures forced gang members

to leave the city and move into the south suburbs of Chicago, including East

Chicago, Hammond, and Gary, Indiana.

Eras of Migration (2000-Present)

-The rise of crime and violence in the northern cities of Lake County, as well as the

desire to “escape the lifestyle” has caused many gang members to move south and

east away from those cities.

-Strict law enforcement against gang-related activity, especially in Hammond and

East Chicago, has caused some gang members to move into more quiet towns

where police officers are less-likely to be aware of a gang presence.

-Without dispute, the gangs ARE now in our community!!!

Most Common

Northwest Indiana

Gangs

&

Identifiers

GANG USE OF GRAFFITI 1. Territory Markers

- Neighborhood Boundaries, Narcotics “Turf”

2. Recognition / Recruitment

- Popularity, “Getting the Name Out There”

3. Disrespect of Rival Gangs

- Upside-down or Crossed Out gang signs represents disrespect toward a

particular rival gang, and is viewed as a sign of war or aggression.

4. Roll-Calls

- Gangs will list members’ “street names” on walls as a kind of roll-call of its

“soldiers”.

5. Memorials

- “RIP” graffiti and tombstones or crosses to memorialize fallen gang

members.

PEOPLE NATION GANGS

FOLK NATION GANGS

OTHER NWI GANGS - BLOODS: “East Coast-West Coast” gang. Prevalent in Michigan City. Graffiti

has been seen in Hobart.

- CRIPS: “East Coast-West Coast” gang. Prevalent in Michigan City and

Valparaiso.

- SUPREMACISTS: Aryan Brotherhood, Saxon Knights, Skinheads, Hammerskins,

Dirty White Boys, Black Panthers, Anarchists

MOTORCYCLE GANGS

Possible

Gang

Involvement

Indicators

COLORS *Vice Lords: Red or Gold + Black

CLOTHING

CLOTHING

Gary west side gang members flashing signs

Gangster Disciple Pitchfork Latin King Crown Gangster Disciple heart with wings

Gangster Disciple 6-pointed star

HAND SIGNS

“Stacking” – Several symbols together.

DRAWINGS AND GRAFFITI

TATTOOS

COMMON GRAFFITI SYMBOLS NUMBERS:

1=A 2=B 3=C 4=D 5=E 6=F 7=G 8=H 9=I 10=J 11=K 12=L 13=M

14=N 15=O 16=P 17=Q 18=R 19=S 20=T 21=U 22=V 23=W 24=X 25=Y 26=Z

SYMBOLS:

Stars, Pitchforks, Crowns, Canes, Diamonds, Playing Card Suits, Pyramids, Moons,

Hearts, Wings, Devil Horns/Tails, Letters, Roman Numerals, Dice, Guns, Drugs, Slang

(also, upside or broken symbols represent disrespect toward rival gang)

**The letter “K” after any other letter represents the word “Killer” (LKK=Latin King Killer)

NICKNAMES AND “RIP” MEMORIALS

HOW TO COMBAT GANG ACTIVITY

1. NOTIFY POLICE OF ALL GANG ACTIVITY!!!

- DO NOT confront gang members by yourself!!!

- Remember as many details as possible of activity, graffiti, clothing, etc.

2. Do Not Be Intimidated or Afraid to Report to Police

- Gangs try to take neighborhoods by creating FEAR in the community.

3. Look for Possible Gang Involvement Indicators

- Be VIGILANT and AWARE of the signs of gang activity.

- Know what your kids are doing and who they are hanging out with.

- Teach your children about the dangers of gang activity.

If You See or Suspect Gang Activity in

Your Neighborhood/Workplace, Call:

FBI-GRIT (Gang Response Investigative Team)

(219) 942-4900

Or

Your Local Police Department