Graffiti. More than pretty pictures; it can signal a war ready to erupt in your neighborhood. It used to be kids with cans of spray paint spraying their names, or I love Judy on the side of a building. But graffiti has become the written form of language for gangs. The graffiti can be information about past, current, or future gang activities. Graffiti can signal many things. It can mark turf boundaries, threaten another gang or rival member, announce a gangs presence in a particular area, and many other things including death threats. Some people can not “read the writing on the wall”, in other words, the graffiti is not written in common words or sentences we are all used to. Usually, a gang will use a few words, phrases, numbers or symbols to represent their gang. Gangs usually also tag their moniker names, nicknames given to members (such as happy, joker, etc.) Graffiti can be anything from a simple one-color scribble of a symbol or initials, to an elaborate multicolor mural on the side of a building.

Aside from the gangs for a moment, there are taggers. Taggers may work alone or in a group at times, but they usually are not confined to a particular area, and usually are not associated with the same kind of street violence that the street gangs are known for. Near my area, there was a group of “taggers” working the area. This type of “graffiti artist” usually is just that, graffiti artist. Usually not associated with a street gang, the taggers usually just spray pictures or spray their moniker names in as many places as they can, usually just for recognition. The ones near my area used a train barrier wall to display their pictures. One thing that I’ve noticed is that some of these taggers are actually pretty good. If they replaced the spray cans and concrete walls with paintbrushes and paper, they could probably earn a living doing the same thing that most call vandalism now. It takes millions of dollars each year to cover the graffiti now displayed almost everywhere you look. I have passed by a location several times in a night while on patrol without seeing anything suspicious, but when first light hits in the morning, the same area is covered with graffiti. Although taggers are usually annoying and bothersome, they are usually harmless, not wishing to become involved in the violence associated with the street gangs.

Street gang graffiti is the graffiti to be very concerned about. I’m sure you’ve driven down a road and saw some writing on a wall, overpass, building, and not thought much about it. What you saw, probably meant nothing to you. But that may have been a threat of impending death to a rival gang. A slap in the face is for a rival gang to come into an area and cross out or deface a rival gangs graffiti, replacing it with their own symbols. In my area, the biggest gangs are Nortenos and Surrenos. These are usually identified as Norte and Sur, or XIV and XIII painted on the side of fences, garages, houses, etc. There are a lot of small gangs which have formed using their own gang name, usually reflecting the area or location where they live, but they are almost all in alliance with one of the above sects. The most common colors for the gangs are red or blue. I have seen innocent people shot for simply unknowingly wearing red or blue in a rival gang’s area. A lot of gangs have become aware of increased penalties for gang association, and some have gone to wearing neutral colors. But they wear the red or blue underneath the neutral colors, and most carry a bandanna with their color of choice in a pocket, able to be quickly displayed when needed. It doesn’t take long for a quiet, peaceful neighborhood to turn into a loud, noisy, and dangerous place to live with gangs, comes drugs, noise, graffiti, and gunfire. It is common to go into a gang infested area and see graffiti covering almost everything, bullet holes in houses, cars, and people afraid to come out of their houses. The scary part is seeing children playing in the same area. Unfortunately, gang members have children too, raising them in this dangerous situation. How did it get this way? People would rather hide in their homes instead of getting involved in neighborhood watch groups, getting police assistance, and rallying together to rid the neighborhood of the problem. You cannot do it alone, and the police cannot do it alone. But together, a gang infested neighborhood can be cleaned up. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Chances are that you live in a nice, quiet neighborhood without a gang problem. But it could change, wherever you live. A gang or gang member is probably living a lot closer to you than you think. Maybe right next door. And it doesn’t take much for the gang to start hanging out at a particular member’s house.

The first thing you might notice is increased traffic, cars, and people to a particular house. Then you might start seeing graffiti in the area. Usually a gang banger wont tag their own house, but they will tag the area. Walls, fences, even the street or sidewalk. (Although I did see a group of wanna be’s tag their own house. Might as well paint a target on it since it was shot up within 2 days).

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I’m not going to get into the political aspects of gun control. I’m going to tell you how I feel.

Should a family be allowed to have a firearm in the home for protection? Yes.

Should that family have proper training before being allowed to possess a firearm? Yes.

Should that family take EVERY step possible to avoid accidents in the home? YES!

AN ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE CAUSING DEATH OR INJURY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!

Read the text on illegal weapons. Sometimes I scratch my head over the laws we enforce. They just don’t make any sense. You can have a police type baton or club in your car, and you are guilty of a FELONY charge. You drive around with a loaded firearm under the seat of your car, and you’re guilty of a slap on the wrist MISDEMEANOR charge. What’s the logic here? Let me remind you that the caliber of person we stop with guns under the seat, are those who have usually been bed and breakfast residents of the local county jail or state prison.

You tell me if this disgust you. While I was assigned to my departments felony arrest team, several of us went to a reputable gun dealer in the bay area, because our department had just authorized us to carry semi-automatic pistols. Although we had to buy our own, they were a great improvement over the antique revolvers we had been issued in the academy.

We were in the store and I saw 4 of our local gang bangers also in the store. Buying guns! They looked at us and just smiled. 2 of these subjects were suspects in numerous gang murders that happened in our district, but investigators were still putting the pieces together. How could these low lives be buying guns you ask? No valid driver’s licenses or identification, no legitimate address, no employer, no proof of validity to life at all.

But the 3 girls that they had met at a party last week had agreed to buy the guns for the guys, in exchange for money or dope. 3 girls who had not yet been introduced into the criminal justice system. 3 girls who had I.D and addresses, (with mommy and daddy) that could be verified. But mommy and daddy would never know because technically these girls were of legal age.

This goes on everyday. Everywhere! It is too easy to buy guns. The laws are too lenient in regards to possessing and transporting guns. PERIOD.

If you do not think this is a problem that’s cool. You’ll get no lectures from me.

But when you see on the news about the drive-by shooting that happened in your area tonight, where a young child was innocently gunned down. Or if you can envision your wife or girlfriend being the victim of the real life tragedy that occurred near my home around Christmas time, then think again. (Re-read our intro regarding that freeway off-ramp murder!)

Every action has a reaction. Change the action, then you’ll change the reaction.

Our Lawmakers have to be made aware that these laws MUST BE greatly increased in Severity.

Get involved and voice your opinion. It’s your society. Unless of course you think it’s ok for murderers to be buying guns fraudulently in public. I’m hoping that you’ll agree with us, THAT IT’S NOT OK!

JL

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So first off we rarely if ever post articles or stories as we try to write them all ourselves here on CopTalk. But this one have been recirculating lately and we thought we should clear it up for our readers.

So the email you might get that looks like spam first - then the backup…

D U S T I N G

First, I’m going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name is Jeff. I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwide for its crime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point we were #2 in the nation in homicides per capita. I also have a police K-9 named Thor. He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years old because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and I still train with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that there was no way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn’t allow it. He would tell on you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about drugs.

I have taught in schools about drugs. My wife asks all our kids at least once a week if they used any drugs. Makes them promise they won’t.

I like building computers occasionally and started building a new one in February 2005. I also was working on some of my older computers. They were full of dust so on one of my trips to the computer store I bought a 3 pack of DUST OFF. Dust Off is a can of compressed air used to blow dust off a computer. A few weeks later when I went to use one of them they were all used. I talked to my kids and my two sons both said they had used them on their computer and messing around with them. I yelled at them for wasting the 10 dollars I paid for them.

On February 28 I went back to the computer store. They didn’t have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a single jumbo can of Dust Off.  I went home and set it down beside my computer. On March 1st, I left for work at 10 PM. Just before midnight my wife went down and kissed Kyle goodnight. At 5:30 am the next morning Kathy went downstairs to wake Kyle for school, before she left for work. He was propped up in bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over. She called to him a few times to get up. He didn’t move. He would sometimes tease her like this and pretend he fell back asleep. He was never easy to get up. She went in and shook his arm. He fell over. He was pale white and had the straw from the Dust Off can coming out of his mouth. He had the new can of Dust Off in his hands.  Kyle was dead.

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(09-19) 17:32 PDT ANTIOCH - A word to burglars: Don’t break into a building full of police officers undergoing training.

Two men learned the hard way in Antioch and ended up being arrested, police said today.

James Ayers, 26, of Bethel Island and Frederick Guilliee, 38, of Antioch broke into a vacant building at 1700 West Fourth St. about 6 p.m. Tuesday in hopes of stealing copper wiring, police said.

They had no idea that the Antioch police K-9 unit was due for a training session at the building, which once housed a cardboard-processing plant.

And at first, the police had no idea that the burglary suspects were inside.

As part of the training, an officer hid inside the 40,000-square-foot building. A K-9 officer then called out that a dog was about to be released and that anyone inside should immediately give up or risk getting bitten.

That’s when Ayers surrendered, police said.

K-9 officers then searched the building and found Guilliee, police said.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary.

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.

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