If a child you know exhibits any of the following signs or behaviors, that child may be at risk for or already involved in gang activities. Many more children are "gang wanna-be's" than are actually involved in gangs, but many wanna-be's do actually drift into gang activities, including criminal behavior, to try to win approval of gang members.

How can you keep your child from becomming interested in gangs? If a child shows signs of being interested in gangs, what can parents or teachers do to re-channel the child's interests? Below are some suggestions:

GRAFFITI is a problem for residents of cities throughout the US. The City of San Antonio has a City Ordinance (City Code, Sec. 21-6) against "GRAFFITI", which the Code defines as "Any unauthorized inscription, word, figure, or design that is marked, etched, scratched, drawn or painted on any surface of public or private buildings, structures or other facility or upon any other property, regardless of its content or nature and regardless of the structural component or property."

The key word in the ordinance is "unauthorized." Content of the markings (whether gang, religious, "John loves Mary", or whatever) is not at issue. Artistic value or skill is not at issue. Freedom of speech is not at issue. At issue is whether or not the writer of the GRAFFITI did the markings WITH or WITHOUT permission of the owner of the property. Marking of property without permission is "GRAFFITI", and GRAFFITI is a crime.

PENALTY: The penalty for committing an act of GRAFFITI can be a Misdemeanor (if the loss/damage is less than $500) or, since the Texas Penal Code was changed in 1997 (28.08), a Felony (if the loss/damage is more than $500). The degree of the Felony depends on the amount of the loss/damage. The punishment for a Felony can involve a fine, time in jail, or both. It is also against City Ordinance for anyone under 17 years of age to purchase spray paint or possess "implements of GRAFFITI", such as spray paint, big-tipped markers, and so on. The State of Texas and the City of San Antonio treat GRAFFITI as a crime, not as a prank.

DECREASING GRAFFITI : The most effective way for residents to decrease and even eliminate GRAFFITI in their neighborhoods is to PAINT IT OUT IMMEDIATELY!!. GRAFFITI writers put up their writings for one reason only: TO BE SEEN. If you remove the GRAFFITI ASAP, and keep removing it as soon as it re-appears, the writers will give up and move to other areas where the writing might stay up long enough to accomplish its purpose. Repeated immediate paint-out has resulted in keeping some areas of San Antonio virtually graffiti free for as long as 18 months. Don't allow your neighborhood to be an attractive target for graffiti.

Organize GRAFFITI Removal Patrols: If your neighborhood has an Association, a Cellular on Patrol group, a Youth Club, Boy/Girl Scouts, YMCA/YWCA, School Group --- any group that can be mobilized --- Gather up paint (donations from residents, from local stores, contact your SAPD Substation SAFFE officers, etc.), brushes, rollers, and so on, make them available to the "paint-out crews", and encourage residents to patrol GRAFFITI "hot spots" (frequently graffitied walls) often AND PAINT THE GRAFFITI OUT IMMEDIATELY. Secure prior permission from property owners; encourage businesses to paint the GRAFFITI out themselves, or furnish the paint so you can paint it out. For GRAFFITI on public walls, paint it out and/or call the GRAFFITI Hotline to report it (207-4400), or call 311.

GRAFFITI 101:There are basically two types of GRAFFITI common in San Antonio:

GANG GRAFFITI	TAGGER GRAFFITI

BOTH types of GRAFFITI are SIGNS OF DECAY; BOTH are CRIMES. Where there is graffiti, gang members are nearby. GANG GRAFFITI conveys messages of one gang's superiority over another, marks gang territory with names or symbols, celebrates the killing of a rival gang member, indicates places to buy dope, and so on. TAGGER GRAFFITI is usually more ornate and colorful than GANG GRAFFITI, and in big, balloon-like or swirling letters it depicts the tagger's (writer's) nickname or other tagger gang names or slogans. Cartoon-like figures are often depicted smoking dope or holding spray-paint cans.

If your children or students show signs of being involved in or attracted to GRAFFITI, explain to them the potential serious consequences of their actions. GRAFFITI is a crime. GRAFFITI means gangs. GRAFFITI is property destruction and vandalism. GRAFFITI is not cool. Children who are interested in art, in painting large signs or murals, can express their talents lawfully and (eventually, as professional artists) profitably, through various avenues, including Mural Projects (at public housing projects, at the request of building owners), Sign Painting (again, at the request of the building owner), and Art Projects for Youth organized by City of San Antonio Community Initiatives Department and Parks and Recreation Department, churches, schools, youth groups, etc.

Convince your children that there are outlets for their artistic expression that are legal and desirable. GRAFFITI is not one of those.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GANGS, GRAFFITI, AND OTHER JUVENILE CRIME ISSUES, PLEASE CONTACT THE SAFFE OFFICERS AT YOUR LOCAL SUBSTATION. We have deliberatly avoided providing more details concerning graffiti symbols, names of gangs active in San Antonio, gang activities, and so on in this web page as we do not want to provide gang members with any publicity. The graffiti illustrated above is old, long-since painted out, and should not provide publicity for any taggers or gang members. SAFFE officers, however, can hold meetings with your neighborhood or group and provide you with detailed information about gangs active in your area.

Please click here to visit pages of units or programs mentioned in this page:
SAFFE Officers : Substations & Phone Numbers	COP (Cellular on Patrol) : Program and Class Schedules
For much more information on GANGS, please visit the Texas Gang Investigators Association web page.
GO TO THE: GANG AWARENESS HANDBOOK (PDF)