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 opensource 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 modernday 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
Folk
-Right Side Emphasis
-“All is One”
-Blue/Black (also Khaki/Tan)
-Number “6”
-Six-Pointed star
-Pitchforks Up
Common NWI Gangs:
-Vice Lords (all factions)
-Latin Kings
-Black P Stones
-Four Corner Hustlers
-Spanish Vice Lords
-Latin Counts
-Aztec Souls
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)
“Hybrid” Gangs
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”).
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
HAND SIGNS
Gangster Disciple Pitchfork
Latin King Crown
Gangster Disciple heart with wings
Gary west side gang members flashing signs
Gangster Disciple 6-pointed star
“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
14=N 15=O 16=P 17=Q 18=R 19=S 20=T 21=U 22=V
10=J
23=W
11=K
24=X
12=L
25=Y
13=M
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