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The Munford Police Department has taken a proactive approach to the street gang and hate group problem that has proliferated in larger cities throughout the nation, and across the state of Tennessee. The Police Department currently has 3 officers who are members of the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association, and the West Tennessee Chapter of the organization. One member is the Lieutenant who supervises the departmentīs patrol division, one member is the departmentīs K-9 officer, and the third is the School Resource Officer who is assigned to Munford High School. At present Munford is experiencing very little gang activity, but we are ever alert to any signs of the presence of gangs. We have established contacts within West Tennessee police departments that advise us on suspected gang activies that might affect our community. Our law enforcement partners across West Tennessee have helped us to keep Munford gang free.
A street gang is defined as a group of individuals who:
1. Have a name or an identifiable leadership.
2. Maintain a geographic, economic, or criminal enterprise turf.
3. Associate on a continous and or regular basis.
4. Engage in delinquent and or criminal activity.
A street gang member usually meets two or more of the following criteria:
1. Admits to criminal gang involvement.
2. Is identified as a criminal street gang member by a parent or guardian
3. Becomes a documented reliable informant on gang activity.
4. Resides in or frequents a particular area of criminal activity and adopts the style, dress, hand signals, and tattoos of a known gang.
5. Is arrested more than once in the company of known gang members.
Street gang members usually follow a fairly well structured set of rules in their dress, signs, and colors. Members of the People Nation gang and the Bloods sign to the left, i.e., their ball caps will have the visors turned to the left, the left trouser leg will be rolled up, their hand signs will be to the left, etc. Whereas the Folk Nation and the Crips will sign to the right.
The primary color of the People Nation and the Bloods is red. They use the number five in their graffiti, and their star signature will have five points. The Folk Nation and the Crips on the other hand wear blue, and their number is six.
Gang members usually mark their turf, or territory with graffiti, which takes many forms. Numbers, stars, crowns, swords, rabbit heads, crosses and former Nazi signs are common. Our officers are always watching for these signs and symbols of gang presence as they perform their daily activites. This holds especially true when we are involved in drug related matters, and with juveniles who are prime targets of gang organization recruiters.
There are a number of other street gangs such as the Black Gangster Disciples, the Vice Lords, the Latin Kings, and others. Their colors, signs, dress, and objectives vary, but the basic reason for their existence is crime.
While it is the mission of the Munford Police Department to provide the citizens of our city a safe, well-protected environment in which to live, we need the support of the community to be successful. If you have any knowledge of activity that you believe might have gang involvement, please contact Lt. John Lewis at the Munford Police Department or via e-mail to: jlewis@munford.com If you have children in the local school system, be especially watchful for any signs of their exposure to possible gang activity. We must be partners in the effort to keep Munford free of gangs. Please feel free to contact us for any additional information on the gang culture.
For more information on Gangs in Tennessee, please visit the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association by clicking on the link below.
http://www.tngia.tn.org/ |
