Pictionary of Gang Graffiti: Downtown Salisbury Gang “Turf Tags”

RFP Staff

♦Gang graffiti known as “gang tags”, or turf markings, is appearing on buildings, rooftops, and alleyways in downtown Salisbury. Our city and its schools has noticeable gang activity, as someone might expect in a city with high FBI crime statistics and soaring poverty. There are those with a vested interest in shutting down information about criminal activity and violence in Salisbury. Some will attempt to explain these seemingly unintelligible spray-painted words and symbols as “just” graffiti. However, the gang tags are communication devices that establish territory and declare status. Learning to read these tags is eye-opening, and it will change the way you look at the “graffiti” you pass by.

Below is our slideshow guide to gang tags in Downtown Salisbury, NC. Use the arrows for one-at-a-time navigation:

For additional information, follow these links:

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?item=1309

http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/gang-related-news?st=nc

http://pwcs.riskmanagement.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1007131/File/Gang%20Awareness%20FILES/GangGraffitiFlyer.pdf

http://www.ncgangcops.org/home.html

http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/

http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/article_2162630e-0422-11e3-8fef-001a4bcf6878.html

https://www.ncdps.gov/div/GCC/PDFs/Pubs/Gang%20Crime/Gang%20Grant%20Rpt%20to%20Gen%20Assembly.pdf

http://www.oncentral.org/news/2012/03/07/know-your-graffiti-disses-threats-and-mexican-mafi/

http://people.missouristate.edu/MichaelCarlie/what_I_learned_about/gangs/graffiti_and_other_identifiers.htm

http://www.policemag.com/videos/channel/gangs/2009/12/how-to-decipher-gang-graffiti-codes.aspx