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If the answer is B, it's "called showing the flag," Wichita police Lt. Jeff Easter told about 70 people Tuesday night.
Easter, head of the gang and felony assault unit, held essentially a one-hour course on awareness of gang activity for residents and police who gathered at Atwater Neighborhood City Hall on East 19th Street. |
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Police tell how to spot gangs
From colored bandanas to graffiti, residents are taught the
warning signs of gang activity and are urged to report it. A colorful handkerchief hanging out of a teenage boy's pocket could be:
A. Just a handkerchief, or B. A color-coded gang "flag." |
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The gang-awareness meeting had a sense of urgency. Drive-by shootings have nearly tripled so far this year compared with the same period last year, and three-fourths of them are gang-related. Although the drive-bys have occurred citywide, 14 of the 27 have been in police Beats 44 and 45 -- roughly from Hydraulic east to Hillside and from 13th north to 21st.
Police Chief Norman Williams wanted to reassure the crowd. Easter had already told the audience that police had recently cracked down on gang violence by arresting 47 gang members, seizing 26 guns and helping to bring charges against about 17 people.
Although gang activity has surged after a lull over the past few years, Williams said, things are not nearly as bad as during the 1990s. Then, he said, people were in denial about gangs.
The latest violence, he said, "is a wake-up call."
Easter said he wants the community to know what it's up against. Gangs appeal to kids from broken homes, and they recruit at schools.
That's why police are studying a Florida law aimed at thwarting gang recruitment at schools.
Some of the "OGs," or "original gangsters," who went into prison in the 1990s are getting out now and serving as criminal role models for young gang members, getting the boys to do their drug trafficking for them. Some documented gang members are as young as 11.
Graffiti is one of the most visible signs of gangs. Residents need to call police when they see it because it can be a sign of gangs marking turf and feuding.
Certain colors and symbols on clothing can be other signs. Gang members often wear clothing or sport tattoos with the initials of their gang names. They sometimes wear colored shoelaces. Some gangs identify themselves by particular numbers.
Police have asked that The Eagle not specify gang colors and symbols because gangs see the specific information as giving them status.
Parental supervision is one of the best ways to combat gangs, Easter said.
During a question-and-answer session with the audience, one man said, "I tell my kids, 'Nothing in this house is off-limits to me.' I check everything because I need to know."
Another man said: "Some of these parents do not know their kids are gang bangers."
Easter told the people to remember: "The most important thing is, you can't be intimidated by these kids. Call us.... You don't have to tell us your name."
To which Williams later added: "We need your help as far as being our eyes and ears.
"You do not have to live in fear." |