What are the warning signs of gang membership I should be aware of as a parent?

• Change in attitude to include violent reactions, disruptive behavior, dislike, and refusal to submit to authority (parents, school, and police).
• Becomes secretive regarding whereabouts or activities.
• Change in friends; does not bring friends to his/her home.
• School attendance becomes sporadic, and grades begin to decline.
• Change in type of clothing selection, such as style, color, or type. Friends or associates dress similarly. Clothing may be altered with gang writing, such as hats, or T-shirts.
• Increase in gang-type graffiti on schoolbooks, notebooks, or papers. This may also be found on bedroom walls or other locations in the room. They may also mark themselves in the form of graffiti or tattoos.
• Son or daughter receives calls from subjects who refuse to identify themselves or identify themselves with a nickname only. They may also refer to your son or daughter by a nickname.

Is there a certain type of clothing that is indicative of gang membership?

Clothing alone may not be an indicator of gang membership. Parents must look beyond the clothing and determine the attitude of why the clothing is being worn. Parents should ask themselves the following questions in regard to changes in attitude:

• If sports-type clothing is being worn, is the subject a true sports fan?
• Is he or she wearing only a certain type, style, or color of clothing?
• Are all his or her friends wearing the same exact style, type, or color of clothing?

Keeping in mind the following attitudes listed above, the following may be indicators of gang membership:

• Wearing exclusively red, blue, or black clothing.
• Wearing clothing that is altered by lettering or numbering indicating gang name, moniker or nickname, or other type of gang insignia.
• Wearing hats that have been altered.

Who are considered high risk for entry into street gangs?

• Youth living in areas of high gang activity.
• Youth from broken or single-parent homes.
• Youth from homes where they are left to fend for themselves most of the time because the parents do not exercise parental responsibilities.
• Youth who are looking for a sense of belonging, which they do not get at home.
• Youth with low self-esteem who are not given the proper praise for good accomplishments. It is guaranteed members will receive praise from other gang members; unfortunately, it is for the wrong reasons.

How do I know if graffiti is gang related, and what do I do if I spot it in my neighborhood?

Much of the graffiti located within the city of Stockton is not gang related, but is linked to groups referred to as "Taggers." Normally, taggers are young teenagers who consider themselves street artists and take pride in putting their moniker or nickname on walls, signs, sidewalks, or other areas. Gang-related graffiti is normally easier to read, whereas tagger graffiti uses symbols and letters that are difficult to read. Gang-related graffiti can be distinguished as follows:

• Normally written in block-style letters.
• Might be done in gang color (blue or red).
• Might contain moniker list (nicknames of members of the gang).
• Might be crossed out by a rival gang.
• Usually done in areas where gang activity is prevalent.

If you suspect gang graffiti in your neighborhood, or have any questions about graffiti, call the Stockton Police Gang Unit at (209) 937-8666. If you want to report graffiti at a specific location, or have questions about graffiti removal, you can also call the Graffiti Hotline at (209) 937-8040.

Home or business owners often ask if it is safe to remove graffiti from the walls of their homes or businesses. It is okay to remove graffiti as long as it is not done selectively. In other words, remove all the graffiti so the gang member does not feel their particular gang is being "picked on."

What are the solutions for the current gang situation?

Police are not the sole solution, only a part of the solution. Parental involvement, intervention and prevention programs, and education, along with the Police Department, are all necessary elements of the solution. Consider the following:

• It is easier to prevent a young person from entering a gang than it is to get that person out of a gang.
• It often becomes necessary for law enforcement to get involved. The arrest and incarceration of gang members is not a permanent solution to the gang situation; it provides only temporary relief for removing gang members off of the streets.
• Parents must be involved in the lives of their children.
• Parents must give their children a sense of belonging and build up their self-esteem by praising their children for good accomplishments. Parents must be there for their children, especially in their times of need.
• Young people must be kept busy in positive activities, such as school, community, and church. By keeping them busy in such activities, young people will not have time to be involved in gangs and will develop more worthwhile values. Young people may also wish to participate in the Police Youth Activities, which offers youth many positive activities such as a Boxing Club and the Junior Cadet and Junior Giants Baseball Programs.

We hope this information will assist you in better understanding gangs, but is important that we keep the gang situation in perspective. Only 1% of our total population in involved in gang activity. We cannot forget about the remaining 99% who are not involved in gangs. Society sometimes forgets that a lot of good things are being accomplished. It is important to keep a positive outlook and work together as a community to put a stop to gangs and their violent activities.

If you suspect illegal gun and gang activity in your area, call the Gun/Gang Hotline at (209) 464-4867 (464-GUNS) to anonymously report illegal gun and gang activity.

For More Information:

A program has been implemented to help reduce the gang problem in Stockton and San Joaquin County. It is called the Peacekeeper Program, more...

See the State of California, Office of Attorney General's Crime and Violence Prevention Center - Tips on gang and youth violence prevention: http://safestate.org/index.cfm?navID=69