By Steve Thomas
Observer Nevis Editor
(Nevis) – To some, graffiti is an eyesore. To others, it is art. Yet to gangs and anti-crime professionals, graffiti can be a way to mark territory and communicate to those who need to know what the gang is all about.
On Nevis, it doesn’t take long to spot the gang graffiti, if you know what you’re looking for.
Recently, a member of the Royal St. Kitts-Nevis Police Force and a member of the Nevis Anti-Crime Community Initiative explained what some of the graffiti means.
In and around sites in Charlestown and Cotton Ground, they said the markings indicate territory claimed by several groups, Bloods and the Low Street Thugs.
These groups may not be associated with long-established gangs in the U.S., Central America, South America and the Caribbean region. Nonetheless, the gangs are dangerous and engage in criminal activity.
Robert Walker, a criminal expert, worked all over the U.S. and last year taught about gang-related violence in the Cayman Islands. He writes about graffiti on his web site, “Gangs OR Us:”
“Gang graffito, the singular of graffiti, is often the first indication that gang activity is present in your community. It is the newspaper, the billboard, the Internet of the world of gangs and serves to mark the gang’s power and status. It marks territorial boundaries and serves, as a warning to other gangs that the area marked with unique signs and symbols is the territory or ‘turf’of a particular gang. Graffiti warns intruders or trespassers from rival gangs and even policemen, that they are not welcome. It may also be an advertisement for the sale of drugs or a memorial to a fallen fellow gang member.
“Graffiti should not be tolerated in ANY community. It frequently, if left in tact, leads to the degradation of a neighborhood and the devaluation of property. Studies have shown in many cases that if graffiti is left unchecked and not removed, more and more graffiti will appear. The removal of graffiti is extremely costly and some cities, that have developed graffiti removal programs, have spent huge sums of money to reclaim and beautify the neighborhood or community.”
To help fight gangs, Mr. Walker’s web site offers the following:
Remember The 4 R’S Of Graffiti –
Read – Read the graffiti to determine the gang(s) involved. If you are unable to interpret what is observed, find someone who can. Frequently, a great deal of intelligence can be gathered, such as the nicknames or monikers of gang members, warnings, threats to other gangs, availability of drugs, pending gang wars, and more.
Report -Educators, parents and other concerned citizens should report found graffiti to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Law enforcement or corrections personnel should report the existence of graffiti to the department’s gang intelligence unit.
Record – Use a still or video camera to record the graffiti for possible later use. If graffiti continues to appear after removal, the photographic record may serve as a history of the efforts made to combat the problem.
Remove – Remove ALL graffiti as soon as possible after it is discovered. When removing graffiti, paint the entire wall, post, sign, etc. on which the graffiti is found. Studies have shown that “spot” painting to blot out the graffiti is not as effective for the permanent discouragement of graffiti as is covering the entire subject area.
