Gang activity paints the town

By Nick Swedberg

Several incidences of spray-painted gang symbols were reported in October, and DeKalb police believe they may be gang-related.

“If it is [graffiti], it is gang-related,” DeKalb Police Detective Roger Plant said.

The first indication of a rise in gang activity in DeKalb would be instances of graffiti, or tagging, Plant said. The next would be fights, broken windows and instances of hazing.

There have not been any incidences of battery associated with gangs, Plant said.

Since most of the gang members in DeKalb tend to be young, they tend to deal primarily with spray-painting, Plant added.

According to DeKalb police reports, words like Mexico and Viva, and an L [crown symbol] K, were spray-painted onto buildings and sidewalks in the area of Sixth Street.

Lt. Jim Kayes of the DeKalb Police Department said the graffiti may be the work of one person, or a small group of people.

The biggest active gang in DeKalb is the Ambrose gang, Plant said. Its rival is the Latin Kings, who also are known to be active in DeKalb.

Some gangs that come in from Chicago include the Vice Lords and the P-Stone Disciples, Plant said.

Plant added that the northeast part of town, around Pleasant Street, is the biggest gang territory in DeKalb. There is not one place in the DeKalb where gangs clearly have defined territory; they are spread out throughout the town.

Incidences of hazing have not been reported in the last three or four years, Plant said. There are “peaks and valleys” of gang activity over a long period of time, he said.

“Right now, thank God, we’re in one of those valleys,” Plant said.

DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said drug activity is one the gangs’ major sources of revenue.

Drug trafficking does not necessarily lead to violent activity, Scott said.

About 30 percent of the people who come through the DeKalb County Jail are gang-affiliated.