Expert deciphers graffiti
Graffitibuster Prince William police analyst deciphers gang symbols
Link:
http://www.potomacnews.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WPN%2FMGArticle%2FWPN_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149188395424&path=
Summary:
The article chronicles a former army intelligence analyst and current criminal analyst, Tom Sullivan, who is an expert a deciphering gang graffiti and tattoos. Some of the key tasks he undertakes is analyzing criminal tattoos to determine if the person wearing them is a "wannabe" or a true gang member. He also looks at new graffiti and determines if it is a local gang or a new one entering the area. Sullivan also has a loose rule of thumb that if the graffiti is unreadable it's probably gang related. Sullivan elaborates on the transient nature of gangs, and also explains the difficulty of recognizing suburban gangs because they are meeting in houses and on playgrounds. So, it has a different, less visible pattern. The article also explains that the best way to deal with gang graffiti is to clean it up promptly, so a message of lax enforcement sent.
Analysis:
This is an interesting article because it focuses on an expert tattoo and graffiti analyst. Tattoos and graffiti are more than just art when it comes to gangs. They are a form of communication. In most cases they are merely there to communicate to other gangs that this street or corner is already taken. In other cases gangs use graffiti to memorialize dead or jailed members. They can also be used to chronicle events in the neighborhood. In a recent National Geographic special entitled "The Worlds Most Dangerous Gang" a clique of MS-13 members completed a massive graffiti mural to commemorate a dead member. The ability to decipher the communications of a threat organization is critical to combating it, whether that threat is al-Qaeda or MS-13. So, look forward to additional news and analysis on gang communications in the future.
Excellent website; very informational. Thanks for the heads up about it - nice job.
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These guys look like Yakuza or Russian mafia all tattooed up like that, but they are vain (and wealthy) enough to pay for better quality work than those guys using old truck tires in some Siberian prison or North Korean-run gambling den.
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nice and sad
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it´s very sad to see that war between ms13 an m18! these guys are so young and really cool but killing other people is not the solution...
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why not in oz????
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first off... to call any other group "mafia" besides the italians doesn't make sense. there is no such thing as the "russian mafia" or "mexican mafia" or they would be italian based in russia or mexico. "russian mob" or "mexican mob" is what they are. the word "mafia" is an italian word and should only be used when referring to La Cosa Nostra - the italian mafia.
secondly, you can't compare "kids" that are running most gangs like ms-13 and other disorganized gangs with the mafia. the mafia have judges, police & politicians in their pockets. they control business, casinos, nightclubs, bars and restaurants. as far as violence is concerned, throwing a hand grenade at someone or chopping a baby up is peanuts compared to having entire families wiped out or someones house or business burned to the ground. even today, with the fbi crushing the mafia like never before, it's still stronger and more powerful than any other gang in the world... let alone the usa. the mafia pays gangs like the hells angels to work with them and do some dirty work. think about that - the mafia and the hells angels working together. what could possibly be more powerful? NOTHING.
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lol ur so ignorant im not trying to glorify ms13 or anything but they have killed entire families and hells angel are nothing and the mafia hires ms13 and other gangs to do their dirty work not only hells angel u talk like the hells angel are really powerfull they are nothing and the mafia is getting stronger but not in the streets its just getting stronger because of its scams and internet gambling and ms 13 is not run by unorganized kids its runned by ex soldiers and they also have politicians and cops that sell out to them and ms13 controls almost an entire continent lol forget casinos and nightclubs
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you are right, MS-13 don't deserve the word mafia. I agree that is an Italian word. MS-13 is just a bunch of little kids who are frustrated because they aren't intelligent enough to conform to live in a civilized environment. Whats even more funny is the "Black Mafia."
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too the guy that said theres no such thing as a russian mafia ur stupid.
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