What is a gang?
A gang is three or more people who have
a common name and identifying signs,
colors, or symbols and who participate in
criminal activities as a group or
individually.
Identification Criteria of suspected
gang members:
An individual is identified as a gang member based on verifying at least
three of the following and is involved in criminal activity:
#1 Admits gang membership or association.
#2 Is observed to associate on a regular basis with known gang members.
#3 Has tattoos indicating gang membership.
#4 Wears gang clothing/colors or symbols which can be identified with a
specific gang.
#5 Is in a photograph with known gang members and/or using gang related
hand signs.
#6 Name is on a gang document, hit list, or gang related graffiti.
#7 Is identified as a gang member by a reliable source.
#8 Arrested in the company of identified gang members or associates.
#9 Corresponds with known gang members or writes and/or receives
correspondence about gang activity.
#10 Writes about gangs (graffiti) on walls, books, paper, etc.
Active gangs in St. Paul
Asian Gangs:
Asian Crips (Colors are blue)
Purple Brother (Colors are Purple)
Oriental Ruthless boys (Red)
Crazy Bloods (Red)
True Bloods 22 (Red)
Men of Destruction (Red) Out of state (Blue)
OMB (Orivelle Mono Boys) (Red)
AB (Asian Bloods) (Red)
White Gangs
White Power Gang
Hells Angles
Hells Outcast
Peacemakers
BPM
Black Gangs:
Selby Side Boys (Colors are blue) Clique w/ Bangout Boys
East Side Boys (Rival is LTG) (Color is Blue)
Black Gangster Disciples
Lower Town Gangsters (Associated w/ GD clique)
Shotgun Crips (Blue)
Bang out boys (Clique w/Selby Side Boys)
Outta Control Gangsters (Red)
Somali Gangs
Somali Gangster Disciple
Rough Tough Somali Crips
Somali Hot Boys
Somali Outlaws
Somali Bloods
Somali Assault Unit
MWA (Madiban With Attitude)
St. Paul Solders
Latino Gangs
18 Street Gang
Nortenos 14
Brown For Life (BFL)
SUR 13
Latin Kings
Brown Pride
$
GANG
$
Gangs currently make money by selling:
-Drugs (Marijuana, Crack Cocaine, Meth.,
Ecstasy, and Heroin)
-Guns
Crack Cocaine
Heroin
Ecstasy
Whippets
LSD / Acid
Signs of Gangs
Clothing to watch for
Ask questions if you are not sure what
words on hats and shirts mean!
Recruitment
Gangs are constantly recruiting. Gangs
want to increase in numbers so when they
have a problem with rival gangs, they will
have a better chance at winning. If you
have gang members in your community,
THEY ARE RECRUITING!
Danger signs to look for in kids
involved in gangs

The child becomes distant from family and friends.

The child begins to wear matching gang colors.
Example, blue shirt, blue bandana, blue shoe strings,
and blue baseball cap. Depending on the gang the child
is representing will determine which colors the kids are
wearing.

The child begins to hang out with the wrong crowd.

The child begins to violate rules they normally would
have abided by in the past.

Check notebooks and school books for gang writings.
Kids often write about which gangs they are representing
Websites
Gang members love to be seen and heard
from. If you suspect a child of being
involved in gangs or if you just want to
check up on a kid you are concerned about,
look them up on:
Myspace.com/org
Black Planet. com/org
Facebook.com/org
Female Gangsters
Minnesota has an increasing number of documented
female gangsters. Females who date male gang
members often align themselves with the gang the male
belongs to.
The St. Paul Police Gang Unit document’s the girlfriends
and wives of known gang members. These women are
listed as associates of the gangs the males belong to.
Otherwise, if women meet the criteria for a gang
member, they are documented as such.
Minnesota does have a small population of female gangs
in its prison system.
Female’s Role in male Gangs
After interviewing numerous male gang members and the former girlfriends of active
gang members, law enforcement has learned of the roles of a female in most gangs
here in Minnesota. Those roles are, but not limited to:
-
Females are used to hold the weapons and narcotics of male gang members until
those weapons are needed at a certain location.
-
Females involved in relationships with male gang members often have children with
the gang members which calls for more loyalty to the gang from the female. She is
less likely to cooperate with law enforcement if the male is suspected of committing a
crime for the benefit of his gang. She will not give the police information if it means
her boyfriend/husband will go to jail.
-
Females are often used to make money for gang members by either becoming an
exotic dancer, committing fraud, theft or prostitution.
Females are not well respected by male gang members. They often don’t figure it out
until after it’s too late to get out of the relationship with the gang member without
fearing for their safety.
Addressing the gang issue
“WE WILL NOT ARREST OUR WAY
OUT OF THE GANG PROBLEM!”
St. Paul Police Chief
John Harrington
Gang History
Gangs have been around since the early 1900’s.
Law enforcement has been reactive over the years to gang crimes.
Now, we have a new approach to dealing with gangs!
This plan involves a partnership with the community we serve.
Intervention
Prevention
Apprehension
Intervention
Intervention requires us as an affective police gang unit
to work closely with community groups. One of the
creations and great partnerships made by the St. Paul
Police Department is the “God Squad.” The God Squad
is made up of church pastors from St. Paul.
Sometimes wanted suspects trust community groups to
turn themselves into police custody after committing a
crime. These suspects often believe their safety is in
danger so they trust community groups to assist in the
process.
It only matters that they are in custody after committing a
crime!
Gang Prevention by SPPD

Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T) program. This
program is taught in the elementary and middle schools. We also have the
G.R.E.A.T Family’s Program, and the G.R.E.A.T Summer Program.

Police Athletic League (P.A.L). This athletic league is coached by police
officers and some members of the St. Paul community. The age groups of
the kids range from elementary to high school age kids.

Truancy and Curfew sweeps. If we (police/community) can keep juveniles
off of the streets during the hours when juveniles are not suppose to be out,
we can decrease the chances of kids getting themselves into trouble.

Some SPPD officers participate in mentor programs with-in the City of St.
Paul.

All of the above are nationwide programs and may be found in most
communities with government funding available.
Prevention by Parents
Parents can decrease the chances of their kids getting involved in gangs by:
-
Knowing where their kids are at all times. Kids who run around in the
community unsupervised are more likely to get into trouble and to hangout
with the wrong crowd. Parents must stay involved and know where their
kids are and who they are hanging out with.
-
Parents should try to get their kids involved in something positive. St. Paul
schools, library’s and community centers post after school and summer
programs for kids. When kids are involved in school functions or community
functions, they are less likely to get themselves into trouble.
-
A bored child with no supervision or extracurricular activities is a child who
is primed and ready to be recruited by someone! I hope the recruiters are
not gang members, drug dealers, pimps, or any other negative members of
our society.
Apprehension
For those gang members who don’t want
to leave the gang life and who continue to
commit crimes, we build gang cases
against them and they will be charged with
the Minnesota Criminal Statute
“Committing a crime for the benefit of a
gang.” We will then ARREST, ARREST,
ARREST!
SPPD Gang Unit
Officer Charles Sims
Office # 651-266-5779
E-Mail: Charles.Sims@ci.stpaul.mn.us