Gang Grafitti!?! - This is what we need now?

Excellent idea, KWAC.
As for Guest, I think it would be good to distinguish between what Casepeople is saying and what he or she is quoting. The business about not being allowed to fire a warning shot came straight from the NYPD, via the times.
Also, in general, it's so much more helpful to look at the full picture in any tragic situation. The police would never have been called if the housing authority had bothered to get a supervisor's signature or the psychiatrist hadn't decided that holding knife was an everyday thing.
KWAC, how does one tell which graffitti is what? What's the difference between a simple tag (not that I approve them) and grafitti that marks territory? I've seen lots of prosaic examples of bloods graffitti, i.e., the word "bloods" or something that looks like the name of a unit or a member written in red. Not so much in blue. How does one distinguish?
Does anyone know about the impressive grafitti (how does one spell that word?) on Bergen bet. Rogers and Classon? It's on the side of an auto place. When it first went up, it looked like they'd paid to have someone do it. Now it looks like taggers are marking it up. Haven't stopped to look very closely, usually see it from my car.

thanks for the response, king.

very interesting information. thanks.

how did you come by this information?

Theres several ways to identify Gang Graffiti. We've often seen Bloods draw an X through the letter C when defacing property. Also 6 pointed stars are used with a combination of numbers. Usually this Graffiti is very basic and used to comminicate with other Gang members. It's important to realize that all Graffiti degrades a neighborhood, a neighborhood that allows this on it's buildings usually allows other Quality of Life issues to prevail. The 77 precinct organizes Clean ups, so anyone interested in volunteering to paint,can do so by contacting the Special Operations Lieutenant. For a list of locations already cleaned in Community Board 8, you can Visit the Community Affairs unit website on NYC.GOV and look under location cleaned and locations pending.

I also found this website....http://www.gangsorus.com/graffiti.html

Thanks Kwac, I didn't know that was possible. I'll try to fill out one of those waivers soon, maybe when the madness that is the holidays at work ends. I tried finding a good site to identify some of the graffiti but didn't have much luck. I checked the website you mentioned but I think I'll give it another shot.

Lucille, thanks for your comment. I just feel that more people need to move past the knee jerk reactions to wanting to change things for the better. Even if you can't figure out a solution, maybe you can reach other people.

neene wrote: i took the brooklynian tag off that image so it won't be offending anyone any more

that particular flickr is a document of what i have found since i moved to brooklyn
and guess what
that image is a part of it

personally i believe in looking at everything: the good, the bad, the ugly, the ridiculous, the sublime, i could go off on this particular tangent ad nauseum, but this is not the place

suffice to say it was posted in the spirit that pitu cited

Perhaps you could post it in this thread, so people have a visual reference if they are trying to get a handle on gang tags.

I was poking through the Flickr account and didn't find it right away...but here's a Crips tag on Utica Ave posted by RunsWithScissors

I appreciate the education.
edited to add: I know next to nothing about gang tags, and called this Crips because that's how it was id'd in Flickr.

Although the Flickr pic might be educational, it gives "props" to these miscreants. I'd rather see positive uplifting pictures from the neighborhood. Theres plenty of websites that identify these Tags and there symbolism.
The red on the background of the picture is part of the wall, and not the tag. That 6 pointed star is a "blood" symbol. If there is any Graffiti that is particularly offensive or causes civil unrest, you may contact Ray Correra at The Community Assistance Unit @ NYC.GOV for immediate removal.

for educational purposes only, here's a link to the offending photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/81268370@N00/264577998/

as far as uplifting neighborhood snaps, i take my fair share, for example:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=damon%20allen&w=81268370%40N00

as for the rest of my images (that do often appear in the flickr thingy above)
i have a strange idea of beauty sometimes,
but we all know, that lies in the eye of the beholder.

(and i am, btw, fascinated by most forms of visual communication including street art, signage, etc.)

neene wrote:
I was poking through the Flickr account and didn't find it right away...but here's a Crips tag on Utica Ave posted by RunsWithScissors

I appreciate the education.
edited to add: I know next to nothing about gang tags, and called this Crips because that's how it was id'd in Flickr.

Pretty sure that graffiti belongs to the "Folk Nation" out of Chicago.. don't know if they're aligned w/ the Crips or something..

pitu wrote: [quote=neene]
I was poking through the Flickr account and didn't find it right away...but here's a Crips tag on Utica Ave posted by RunsWithScissors

I appreciate the education.
edited to add: I know next to nothing about gang tags, and called this Crips because that's how it was id'd in Flickr.

Pretty sure that graffiti belongs to the "Folk Nation" out of Chicago.. don't know if they're aligned w/ the Crips or something..

yes, they are.