Gang Awareness Workshop

1. Gang Awareness Workshop Presentation Given By: Det. Javier Castellanos Passaic County Gang Investigation Unit (GIU) January 27, 2010

2. GANGS • Defined as: A group of three or more people who have a common sign, symbol, or name. They may individually or collectively be engaged in criminal activity.

3. Stereotypes No Longer Exist ● Look like everyday kids or regular people. ● No longer “flying colors” or “flagging signs”. ● Some gangs encourage attending college so that they have another source of recruitment and so members can run gang like a business. ● Some gangs recruit as young as 2nd or 3rd grade. ● 10% of all gang members are now female. ● Gangs encourage members to join military so they can learn how to use weapons more effectively.

4. Gangs in N.J. ● GIU has identified over 100 different gangs in Passaic County alone. ● Some gangs include Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, and Netas ● Bloods are now the largest and most violent gang in New Jersey. ● There is a gang presence in all 21 counties of N.J. with over 37,000 identified gang members in the state. ● Over one million gang members nationwide.

5. Why Do Kids Join Gangs? • 1) Cash • 2) Protection • 3) Notoriety • 4) Companionship • 5) Lured by gifts

6. Racial Diversity In Gangs ● S.H.A.R.P. – Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice -- Allow all ethnicities to join their gang so they can infiltrate other gangs with aspiring members that are the same ethnicity ● Biggest Crip population in N.J. now resides in a more Arabic section of Patterson.

7. Sports Apparel As Gang Signs • Team colors have led to the team logos themselves being gang signs. • Some apparel may be sports logos altered with actual gang signs. • Companies like Nike and New Era allow on-line sale of team logos altered with gang signs. • New Era’s slogan : “They’re not just a hat, they’re a flag.”

8. Other Known Gang Symbols • Beads and Jewelry • Pants pocket hanging out on a certain side • Graffiti tags • Tattoos • Hand Gestures

9. Crip Hand Gestures

10. Folk Nation vs. People’s Nation • Folk Nation Gang Signs: • #6 • Six point star • Favor right side of body: - Hand in right pocket - Rolled up right sleeve or pant leg - Right side pants pocket hanging out • People’s Nation Gang Signs: • #5 • Five point star • Favor left side of body - Hand in left pocket - Rolled up left sleeve or pant leg - Left side pants pocket hanging out

11. Blood Gang Info: ii – “Double I Bloods” the most violent of all Blood sets in New Jersey. 235 - Symbol arose from 2 gang leaders….. one leader lived on 17th street and the other lived on 18th street, thus giving them the number 35. ● There are over seventy different Blood sets around the nation. ● Bloods, Crips, and Latin Kings considered a “Super Gang” because they have over 1,000 members. ● Bloods may kill other Bloods if they are from a different set

12. Latin King Gang Info: • Latin Kings originated in the 1940’s and are still growing at a rapid pace. • They live by the motto: “You lie, you die.” • To become a member you must fill out an application in addition to getting jumped in. They do a thorough background check with social security numbers, family names, etc. to make sure you are who you say you are. • They are so vicious that if a member tried to leave the gang, they would kill the persons mother just so that they could kill the member when they showed up for the funeral.

13. Netas Gang Info: • Netas have been around since 1978. • In P.R. the Netas are the largest gang and 95% of all prison inmates are members. • Netas have quickly become a worldwide organization • Netas are the reason why Det. Castellanos no longer lives in Patterson, NJ.

14. Gang Initiations: • Most gang members are “jumped in”. They are beaten by 4 or more other gang members for a certain period of time (i.e. – 31 sec. for Bloods). If you fall to the ground, you get back up for another beating and the clock is reset. • Some girls are “sexed in”. They roll two die and whatever number comes up is how many gang members they must have sex with. • “Buck Fifty” initiation is when a person is slashed with a knife or razor to the point of needing one hundred and fifty stitches.

15. Gangs In Hip Hop Music: • Well known gang members in Hip Hop music include Snoop Dogg, Suge Knight, Big Pun, 50 Cent, Tupac, Biggie, Jim Jones, Jewell Santana, Ice-T, Lil Wayne, etc. • Tupac Lyric – “5-0 die slow…my 45 make sure your kids don’t grow!”

16. Gangs In Mainstream America • Video games like “Grand Theft Auto” glorify thug life and gang activity. • Internet chat rooms fuel gang violence, hatred, and revenge while also recruiting new members and teaching children how to kill. • Paul Pierce fined $25,000 for flashing gang signs during a Boston Celtics home game.

17. Teachers Responsibilities: • Keep up to date with gang signs and gang information by attending workshops, sharing with other teachers, etc. • Stay in touch with parents to discuss student activities and relationships. • Know who your students are hanging around with in school. • Look for gang signs, colors, flags, etc. that your students are flashing around school. • Report any suspected gang activity to a guidance counselor, social worker, or school administrator.

18. Please remember to keep this information out of the hands of students and other young adults. If the gang members themselves become aware that we have this information, they will change as much as they can to prevent us from being able to identify them. Simply use this knowledge to be aware of those around you. Thank You.