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Kinston’s gangs blamed for murder, drugs, other crimes
Police call for help in spotting, identifying signs
By Lee Raynor
Friday, November 11, 2005
Bloods and Crips, Vice Lords and Folk Nation all are active in Kinston and they mark their territory wherever they go.
Most gang activity in the city is centered around public housing areas, but members don’t set geographic boundaries. Gang graffiti can be found around schools, parks, shopping areas and even in some of Kinston’s nicer neighborhoods.
"You can’t sugar-coat it," said Public Safety Department Sgt. Ken Barnes, who leads the department’s gang unit.
The graffiti is sophisticated, and has been called "the newspaper of the street." It communicates a gang’s power and status, delineates territory, sends messages and warns away intruders.
Police want residents to notify them if they spot gang markings. An officer will identify the markings, photograph and remove them.
"Sometimes it’s not gang-related," said Greg Smith, director of Kinston’s public safety department, "Some of the marks are left by taggers."
Taggers are people who go around town marking property, often using spray paint to do their damage.
IDENTIFICATION MARKS
Gang members frequently can be identified by the color and style of their clothing, by their walk or by signals they send with their hands, fingers or body. The signs convey words and phrases to other gang members, thus carrying on wordless conversations.
Signs used in one part of the country may not translate into the same message as those used in another city or state. Meanings of the signals can vary.
Members can be as young as grammar-school age and most are black males. Some other nationalities are beginning to join certain gangs.
Initiation rituals can be brutal. Barnes described one ritual that involves six gang members beating an initiate for six hours.
Membership is not limited to males. Female gang members are considered an asset. They hold weapons for male members and carry drugs. Male members mistakenly believe police will be reluctant to search women.
Their initiation is chilling. Called "sexed-in," the rite calls for the new female member to sleep with every male member of the gang, Barnes said.
As a rule, Bloods are known by their red clothing and Crips by blue. Gang members are getting smarter, however, and "change daily to keep police from knowing," Barnes told residents and community leaders attending a crime seminar Thursday at Hampton Inn.
Crips was organized in 1969 by Stanley "Tookie" Williams in southern Los Angeles. Since then, it has branched out to all major cities in the U.S. and is moving now into smaller areas such as Kinston. Smith believes local gangs may have migrated here from Greensboro.
DANGEROUS DANCE
Members in some parts of the country can be seen wearing blue bandannas and British Knight shoes. They use the shoes’ "BK" initials to mean "Blood Killers." Bloods are the Crips’ fiercest gang rivals. Wearing blue has become less common since police began using it to help identify Crips members.
Barnes said gangs are beginning to wear sports garb in their gang colors. For instance, the Bloods’ color is red. Blood members sometimes wear red Chicago Bulls shirts or hats to represent their gang color.
Another Crips identifier is a cane or a stick members sometimes carry. The stick reportedly signifies the gang member’s intent to cripple his victims.
Many popular West Coast rappers have close gang ties. Snoop Dog is a member of Rollin’ 20 Crips in Long Beach, Calif. Other gang-connected rappers include Spider Loc, Tray Dee, Warren G and Goldie Loc.
Crips have a dance they call the C-walk. It spells out an insult to rival gangs.
"Doing a gang dance can get you shot or killed," Barnes said.
The Bloods also began in Los Angeles. The gang was formed after several members of the Pirus gang were killed by Crips. Pirus met with other small gangs whose members had been killed by Crips and the gangs consolidated. They selected red as their color, the opposite of the Crips’ blue. Blood members often wear red bandannas.
Bloods gained notoriety in the ’80s when crack-cocaine reached epidemic proportions. Members had violent feuds with Crips and police.
A peace, of sorts, was negotiated between the two gangs in May 2004.
Blood rappers include DJ Quik, Suge Knight, Damu Fidaz and Mack 10.
The late Tupac Shakur was rumored to be a Blood, but that was not proved. Shakur often wore a red bandanna and allowed people to believe he was affiliated with the Bloods. Research suggests he was never been able to verify the affiliation.
BGD AMONG US
Folk Nation began in Chicago. Its insignia is a six-pointed star, similar to the Star of David, although the gang has no tie to Judaism. The six points represent life, loyalty, love, wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
Members of Folk Nation wear their caps to the right, earrings in their right ear and often hang a bandanna from their right pockets or tied around their right leg. People’s Nation, another gang, wears its clothing and accessories to the left.
Folk Nation gangs are divided into sets, such as Black Gangster Disciples, or BGD, which is active in Kinston, Black Disciples, Gangster Disciples, Imperial Disciple and International Posse. Black Gorillas and Outlaws are also in Kinston
BGD gang signs include raised pitchforks. Latin Eagles’ signs include an eagle in flight or an eagle’s head. Others contain five- or six-pointed stars, a crown, a black heart with horns and a tail, or pitchforks in various positions.
Many gangs tattoo their members and some burn marks into members’ skin, Barnes said.
Police estimate that Kinston has about 100 gang members. Two murders earlier this year are believed to be gang-related. Gangs are also believed to be responsible for many of the city’s drug deals, robberies and breakings and enterings.
Members keep a notebook with them at all times. The book is under their pillow at night. Barnes saide members consider it to be their holy of holies. It contains words and symbols integral to their activities.
Barnes’ unit maintains a close eye on gang activity, but one of the somber lessons they’ve learned should alert us all:
"You can cut off the head and significantly weaken a gang because the brain is gone," he said. "But it grows back."
LEARN MORE
Learn more about gangs, how to recognize the signs that a child may be getting involved and find out how to keep your child or grandchild safe from their influence. Visit www.gangsta411.com or www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/sets4.html. | |
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