Post 341 veterans hear about gangs in northwest Arkansas
Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008
!/ # 001 !.
All street gangs in America have symbols to define what they stand for and who they are. But not all young people who wear those symbols are gang members.
That was one of several facts presented Thursday night as members of the Marshall S. Sayner American Legion Post 341 heard a talk on gangs from Rogers Police Department Sgt. Kelley Cradduck.
Cradduck, a former undercover officer who actually infiltrated some of the gangs in northwest Arkansas, said in his estimation, there are "thousands of gang members "in this part of the state, from Bella Vista to Rogers, and including Bentonville, Lowell and areas in between.
"They like small towns," he said," because most people are ignorant (when it comes to their activities ). "
The advent of gangs in this country came about from a decision by the federal government he said. Some years ago, in an effort to separate imprisoned gang leaders in California from their "network "of members, authorities relocated them to smaller prisons in other states.
That forced their families to move as well, said Cradduck, and the problem didn't go away. It simply started all over again in other places.
Another reason for the spread of gangs is what is known as the Three Strike Law in California, he said. If a two-time convicted felon in that state commits a third felony and are found guilty, it means life in prison. Rather than face that, Cradduck said they move away to other states.
Then, if that third conviction does occur, generally California officials will decline extradition, he said.
Gangs are everywhere today, he said, not just in the big cities.
Along with popping up in places never thought of before, the inner workings of gangs also are changing. Cradduck said more and more girls are becoming involved, or even forming their own gangs.
"Girls are a unique problem," he said. "They are ultra-violent."
Cradduck, using a computer slide show and actual gang clothing confiscated from young people he and others in his department have arrested, showed some of the signs and symbols used.
Colors are very important to gangs, he said.
For example, one organization wears only black and gold, and they have found that combination in a popular clothing line called South Pole.
But, he added, just because a young person wears that clothing doesn't mean he or she is in a gang. More scrutiny is often needed.
How they wear their clothes can signify gang affiliation, he said. That might include rolling up one pant leg, or tilting a hat to the left or right.
He also showed some examples of graffiti and ex- plained what the symbols and numbers mean.
Perhaps what was most interesting to the veterans in the audience was a short video and talk on gangs in the military.
Cradduck said a government study done in the late 80 's and early 90 's showed that at least 1 percent of active duty military personnel, roughly 10, 000 people, had some affiliation with a gang.
The video he used was a news report focusing on how gang members are using their military tactical training in their gang activities, including urban warfare, learned on the streets of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.
A portion of his talk that evening dealt with computer Web sites, such as Facebook, which claims to be a place that "helps you connect and share with the people in your life."
He showed a number of photos taken from that site that involved youth from northwest Arkansas.
Some were flashing gang signs, all were wearing gang symbols or sporting tattoos, and one young man was displaying an automatic weapon.
Cradduck said Bella Vista doesn't have a gang problem like other cities in northwest Arkansas, but that doesn't meant it can't happen down the road.
He attributed the low gang activity in the city to the proactive position by Bella Vista Police Chief Jim Wozniak and the members of his department.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online