The Gangs Connection
By Anand Rao
In recent years, gang related crime has grabbed a lot of attention in Utah. It shot into limelight last year with the drive-by shooting of seven-year-old Maria Menchaca. "It was only after that unfortunate incident that most people woke up to the reality of gangs," says Gang Detective for nine years, Andy Leonard. "Gang-related and drug-related crime is easily 80% of all criminal activity in the Salt Lake Valley," he adds.
Talking about gangs was apparently mired in denial according to the senior cop who has seen gang activity increase in the last few years.
"Many times in court while testifying a case," says Leonard "I have had defense lawyers raise objection to the mention of the word gang, trying to throw the case out. That's because in Utah we don't have gang laws. There's no legislature that defines a gang."
Officer Leonard has to regularly take parents to their children's room and explain the meaning of the graffiti on the walls and that the friends in their pictures were documented gang members.
Many gangs have made their way to Utah from Mexico through California.
It all begins with children feeling empowered by associating themselves with kids who are tough and grouped together. They go around living a life that television has fed them. The common pattern is staying out all night, drinking alcohol and surrounding themselves with friends who give them a false sense of security to commit crime. "Unfortunately, children tend to stick around gang kids for protection," says Officer Leonard.
A key indicator for gang affiliation is the clothes they wear. "You cannot be seen in certain parts of the city wearing certain colors, unless you want to be shot," says Leonard, who has often stopped and questioned many a youngster wearing an excess of a particular color. "For instance," he says "you don't want to wear a bright red shirt in an area dominated by the Tongan Crips gang." Apparently red is not the color of choice for members of the gang, while red is sacred for members of a 'blood' gang.
Juvenile offenders are now increasingly treated like adult criminals simply because of the nature of crimes they commit. "We had guys in our squad shot at by 15 year olds. The bullet doesn't care how old the guy is who pulled the trigger. We treat them like all other criminals," says Leonard.
Officers of the gang's squad of SLCPD know the homes of each gang member and they keep an eagle eye on them. If a kid hangs around with active gang members, his way of dressing, starting to spray paint gang graffiti, staying out late, smoking weed, being present in a car during a drive by shooting, are supposedly standard indicators of a gang involvement or a sure sign that they are in the process of getting recruited.
Read the other parts in the Cradle of Crime series
