Curbing Gang Violence

2
Curbing Gang Violence

Utah carries a reputation of a family-friendly state with law-abiding citizens. This fame
can be harmful to the security of Utahn families because people might not acknowledge the fact
that gang violence in Utah has increased during the last years. Gangs are a threat for the fact that
they now recruit women, have their own websites, have modern weapons, have graduated from
selling pot on the street corners to full-blown racketeering, kids as young as four have been seen
and photographed flashing gang signs and holding weapons, and prison gangs are releasing CDs
to promote their culture. This gang violence has been issued in many news organizations
including Deseret News and ABC News after a meeting of the Utah Gang Conference in Salt
Lake City.
Background
Salt Lake metropolitan area
Gangs in Salt Lake City are influenced by gangs from Los Angeles and Chicago. Salt
Lake City sometimes is referred as a secondary gang city because gangs there have affiliations
with gangs from Los Angeles and Chicago with some mutations. Gangs in Salt Lake are
considered to be one of the most diverse in the western part of the United States. Major
California affiliations include the Surenos, Nortenos, Crips, and Bloods. Chicago affiliations are
the Folks and the People. In addition, Salt Lake metro area has Southeast Asian gangs,
Polynesian gangs, racist and non-racist skinheads, motorcycle gangs, Straight Edgers, and
extremist groups like Animal Liberation Front.
Hispanic Gangs
One of the earliest gangs in Salt Lake, Chosen Few, started with teenagers who were
influenced by a movie that showed Southern Californias Hispanic gang culture called

Curbing Gang Violence

Boulevard Nights. That was a starting point for Hispanic gangs that grew in the area and were
heavily influenced by Southern Californian Hispanic gangs. Hispanic gangs are the most
common kind of gangs together with Polynesian. They are found in the west side of Salt Lake
City, and the suburban cities of Magna, West Valley, Kearns, Taylorsville, and South Salt Lake.
Among the Hispanics, the Sureno and Norteno are very popular. Sureno gangs were
formed in Los Angeles and often use the acronym SUR and the number 13 to identify. The
biggest Sureno groups are Surenos 13, Chiques Trece, Avenues, 18th Street, 38th Street, Gardenia
Trece, and Florencia 13. Norteno gangs were formed in north of Bakersfield in California and
they use N, Norte and the number 14 to identify. The biggest Nortenos groups are 21st Street,
Diamond Street, Familia Varrio Loco (FVL), and VI Nortenos. Many of these gangs have ongoing conflicts.
There are also another Hispanic gangs that follow the California style but are not
associated with neither the Nortenos nor the Surenos. Many of those gangs identify with the
color brown and sometimes use the symbols of the Surenos. Some of those gangs are reffered to
as Brown Pride gangs, such as QVO, La Raza and Big Dick Gang (BDG). Utah is receiving
more affiliates from California and it has caused some shifts in gang alignments. In addition,
large drug cartel gangs from Mexico are moving to the area. Some of these drug cartel gangs
include the Sinaloan Cartel (Sinaloan Cowboys) and the Juarez Cartel. According to the police
website, around 70 to 80 percent of Utahs street level drugs were transported from or through
Mexico. Drug members distribute cocaine, Mexican tar heroin, marijuana, and
methamphetamines.
Crips and Bloods

Curbing Gang Violence

Frequently, street gangs in Utah are affiliated with either the Crips or the Bloods. Blood
and Crip gangs were created in the Los Angeles area and in Utah, local teenagers adopted their
mentality. Polynesian, South-east Asian, Caucasian and African-American gangs are affiliated
with Crips and Bloods.
Crips (sometimes referred as Crip) may insult to Bloods with writings such as BK
(Blood Killer) and claim the dark blue color. Big Crip gangs in the metropolitan area of Salt
Lake are Tongan Crip Gang, Lay Low Crips, Sons of Samoa, Tongan Crip Regulators, Tongan
Style Gang, Original Laotian Gang, and Salt Lake Posse. Blood gangs use the word Blood or
Piru to refer to themselves and insult Crips with writings such as CK (Crip Killer). They
claim the color red as their color. Big Blood gangs are Kearns, Town Bloods, and Tiny Oriental
Posse.
Folks and People
The Folks and the People are gangs found in the Chicago area and have many affiliated
gangs in most large Midwestern cities. The Folks is the largest of the two and both use
combination of colors. Folk affiliates use the number 6, the six-pointed star of David, an upwardpointing pitchfork with three prongs, and the playboy bunny with the right ear bent as their
symbols. They tend to wear their identifiers on the right side of their bodies. Folks gangs in Salt
Lake include Gangster Disciples, Ambrose, Black Mafia Gangsters and King Mafia Disciples
and they tend to affiliate with Blood gangs (except for Gangster Disciples and Ambrose).
People affiliates use the number 5, the 5-pointed Star of Islam, a 3 or 5-pointed crown, a
downward-pointed pitchfork, and a dollar sign as their symbols. They tent to wear their
identifiers on the left side of their bodies. People gangs in Salt Lake include the Latin Kings and
the Vice Lords.

Curbing Gang Violence

Motorcycle Gangs
Motorcycle gangs traditionally have involvement in crime. They are involved in the
production, transportation, distribution, and use of illegal drugs and are linked to money
laundering, murder, witness intimidation, extortion, theft, rape, kidnapping, prostitution, and
weapons violations. Frequently, they try to cover their crimes with legal businesses such as
towing companies, repair shops, escort services, security companies, bars and motorcycle shops.
The Barons is a one-chapter club in Salt Lake City but they had other seasonal chapters in other
locations. However, some current data states the chapter in Salt Lake is the only one functioning.
Another club in Utah is the Sundowners, based in Ogden, with other chapters in Nevada,
California, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Florida. In Utah they have active chapters in Ogden, Salt
Lake City, and St. George.
(from information compiled by Agent Lee Perry of the Utah Dept. of Public Safety)

Straight Edge and Animal Liberation Front

Straight Edge is a national movement that started in the New York area. Their members
usually do not take drugs, alcohol or tobacco but are in favor of violence. They have been
responsible for many assaults, stabbings, and beatings in the metropolitan area of Salt Lake.
There are three categories of Straight Edge members:
Straight Edge are the most moderate and follow their beliefs, but may be involved in
forcing aggressively them to others.
Straight Edge Vegans have a vegan lifestyle besides their beliefs and abstain from animal
products.

Curbing Gang Violence

Hardline or Militant Vegan are the most violent and most of them are also members of the
Animal Liberation Front. They have committed around $2.5 million in bombings in the Salt Lake
area since 1996.
Straight Edgers are usually Caucasian and from the middle or upper classes and they have
close-cropped or shaved hair, tattoos, customized t-shirts with their slogans in Old English-style
letters, large baggy clothing, piercings, and heavy silver necklaces and chains. The X is their
most common symbol.
Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is an extremist group that used a leaderless resistance
concept. Typical ALF targets are fur farms, animal processing plants, meat markets, and furniture
stores. Their primary goal is to sabotage animal-related businesses. They have done molotoy
cocktail, pipe bombings, graffiti and other kinds of vandalism.
Skinheads: Racist and Non-Racist
Skinheads in the Salt Lake area as classified as either racist or non-racist. The biggest
non-racist group in the country is SHARP (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice) and their
members do not have the same racial viewpoint as the typical skinheads but they are often
confronting with them.
Racist skinheads are usually referred to as boneheads by the non-racist skinheads.
Some things that identify racist skinheads are flight jackets often with Nazi, KKK or confederate
patches, braces, shirts (usually a polo buttoned to the top or a concert t-shirt from a racist group
such as Skrewdriver), rolled up jeans or Dickies, and Dr. Marten boots. They might also have
tattoos of Nazi symbols and some common identifiers are 88 (Heil Hitler), 18 (Adolph Hitler),
swastikas and the Nazi SS lightning bolts. They believe the write race is superior to all others
with other races being subhuman, all the accomplishments in the world were brought by white

Curbing Gang Violence

men and women, and the Zionist Occupational Government controls the United States
government and the media.
Some skinheads have ties with the Christian Identity Movement, that preaches that whites
non-Jews are the true nation of Israel. Other skinheads worship old pagan Norse gods. They view
themselves as the protectors of the white race and their victims are of racial minorities, people
who married ethnic minorities, and gays and lesbians.
Unaligned Gangs
Some gangs are not aligned with other gangs and may have them as rivals. Some
examples are VLT (Varrio Loco Town), OSB (Oquirrh Shadow Boys), and Salt Lake Posse. They
may choose their own colors and symbols that are not related to other gangs. Some Asian gangs,
such as the Oriental Posse might be unaligned.
Potential Publics
Local police officers, high school students, households who live in target areas, 18-30
year-old people, kids 8-14 year-old, elementary school teachers, high school teachers, gun shop
owners, businesses owners of areas affected the most.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Many symbols are known by the police;
Many gang leaders are in the police
databases.

Opportunities
Use family members to be more present in
teenagers lives;
Spread out symbols gangs use to see
locations.

Weaknesses
Lack of experience dealing with gangs;
Ignorance of the population in recognizing gang
symbols;
Reluctance in believing gangs are a threat in
Utah.
Threats
Chance of terrorism;
People too scared to admit increasing gang
activity in the state;
Mass membership.

Curbing Gang Violence

Situation Analysis
From recent years, gang activity in Utah has increased and it is becoming a threat to the
security of families who live in the state, especially in cities with strong gang presence (West
Valley, Kearns, Taylorsville, South Salt Lake, and Ogden). Six shootings in the last 30 days can
be traced to a rivalry between a black gang and a Polynesian gang. These gangs are committed to
making money, which makes alliances fairly common. Recently, one of the gangs in Utah was
approached by al-Qaida to help bringing terrorists into the nation.
Failure to make people more aware of the increasing gang activity in Utah will result a
further increase in the gang membership. If more citizens join gangs, it will increase violence in
the state. Many citizens are not aware that some of the people they know might be gang
members. Because of the ignorance of the people and the image the state has of being a perfectly
safe place, gangs are spreading and this is a challenge to the project. This challenge can be
overcome through the spread of the primary message that gangs are increasing so our key publics
can become more aware.

Core Problem
Because Utah is known for being a safe place, people do not acknowledge the violence of
gangs. If key publics do not increase awareness, gang membership will go up and make the state
a dangerous place.

Curbing Gang Violence

2
Campaign Goal

Increase awareness among key publics about the increase and the dangers of gangs in
Utah to decrease its activities in the state and to discourage more people to join them.

Objectives
1. Increase awareness among key publics about the increasing gang activities in Utah from
10% to 40% in 10 months.
2. Increase awareness among key publics about gang symbols and places they meet from
5% to 30% in 10 months.
3. Decrease the number of new gang members from 10 a month to 2 a month in 12 months.

The Big Idea

Gangs will cease to exist when people do not have the desire to join them and when the
population is aware of them.

Key Publics and Message Design

Junior high and high school students
Current relationship: High school students are a very important key public because they are
possible future gang members and, in some cases, already gang members. Some gangs have
shown interest in this young target because it is easier for students to sell drugs at school and
feed the gang market.
Influentials: Pre-teenagers and teenagers are influenced mostly by their peers, classmates, and
friends. At a smaller degree, they are influenced by their family members. Once they leave their
childhood, they tend to rely on their parents less and to look to their friends as an example of

Curbing Gang Violence

how they should live. They are also influenced by their teachers. Sometimes, besides spending
time at their homes, pre and teenagers spend the most time at school, so teachers know a lot
about them.
Self-interests: Pre-teenagers and teenagers want to succeed in life and get more independence
from their families. Also, they seek acceptance from their friends and they want to be part of a
group that understands and values them.
Objectives: 1, 2, and 3
Primary Message: Gangs in Utah are increasing and dangerous and joining them will make
your life dangerous and miserable.

Guys who join gangs commit crimes and go to jail

They live in fear of being killed
They put their families in danger

Strategy 1: Persuade junior high and high school students that gang violence in increasing in
Utah through their teachers.
Tactics:

Display posters in local schools (initially in affected areas) with some information about

gangs in Utah.
Have some of their teachers take some time of their lectures to talk about gangs in Utah.

Strategy 2: Persuade junior high and high school students to not join gangs through a series of
informative lectures.
Tactics:

Have a former gang member give lectures in local schools to tell his or her challenges
and how joining a gang might be good at first because you are surrounded by friends, but
bad later because it makes life dangerous and hard.

Curbing Gang Violence

Have police officers give lectures in local schools and hand out fliers with some
information about some of the symbols gangs use and the dangers associated with
joining a gang.

Strategy 3: Persuade junior high and high school students to stay at school after their classes to
join a club or sports team through their teachers and competitions.
Tactics:

Have teachers organize additional drama clubs, sports tournaments, and other activities
that will make students want to get involved and avoid being idle at home and more

prone to join gangs.

Give potential extra credit to those who are in the profile of becoming a gang member

(shy, parents who work outside of the home) if they participate in any of the activities.
Give prizes to everyone who comes.

Parents of elementary and high school students

Current relationship: Parents of elementary and high school students are a very important
public because they know when their children are not around and can recognize if their children
are acting in strange ways that may show they have joined a gang. Thus, being an influential to
their children, they can show their love and support for them and avoid them joining gangs. In
addition, having them being more aware of the threat gangs bring to the state, will make them
talk about it with friends and coworkers and increase awareness even more in the state.
Influentials: Media, their spouses/partners, coworkers.
Self-interests: Parents want to provide for their families so sometimes they might work a lot.
They want to give comfort and the best life they can afford for their children.
Objectives: 1, 2, and 3.

Curbing Gang Violence

Primary Message: Gangs in Utah are increasing. Take care of your children so they wont join a
gang.

Gangs like to target teenagers who are still in school because they are a portal to schools

to sell drugs.
Gangs in Utah are becoming a threat to the security of many people living in affected
areas.

Strategy 1: Inform parents of pre and teenagers that gang violence is a serious problem in Utah
through traditional media.
Tactics:

Pitch stories to the Deseret News, ABC, and KSL to show violence linked to gangs in the

state.
Send to local TV and radio stations a PSA on gangs in Utah.

Strategy 2: Inform parents of pre-teenagers and teenagers that their children are targets for gang
leaders through school activities.
Tactics:

Have a lecture to parents at schools given by police officers to show some signs

adolescents show that are signs they might have joined a gang.
On individual meetings with their children teachers, teachers who have noticed a strange

behavior in the students should let the parents know.

Hand out flyers after individual meetings to the parents about gang clothes, colors and
symbols.

Strategy 3: Inform parents of pre-teenagers and teenagers that their example is vital to their
children and that spending valuable time with them is the best way to avoid any problems
through social media.
Tactics:

Curbing Gang Violence

Have a Facebook page called Love avoids hatred with posts about how to spend good

time with families.

Put on Youtube a PSA on how children take the example of their parents.
Have a blog with posts from mothers who found out their children were involved in

gangs and how they could have avoided it if they were aware.
Business Owners of more Affected Areas
Current relationship: Local business owners are an important key public because they are
directly affected by gang violence and may be able to help in denouncing gang activity. They
need to be more aware of the increasing gang membership and violence in the state, especially in
their cities. Gangs are a threat to them because increasing gang activity in their area might affect
their business since less people will transit in those parts.
Influentials: Business owners are influenced by the media and famous businesspeople.
Self-interests: Business owners want security to themselves and for their families as well as
making money in their businesses.
Objectives: 1 and 2.
Primary Message: Increasing sophisticated gangs in Utah are a threat and must be fought.

Some Utahn gangs are as sophisticated as the Chicago gangs of the 1920s.
Rivalry between gangs are a threat because of shooting in public space and violence.
Gang members steal homes and sometimes, businesses.

Strategy 1: Inform local business owners that gangs are increasing in Utah through letters and
booklets.
Tactics:

Send letters from the local police officer in charge telling them about the dangers of
gangs in the area and some local gangs.

Curbing Gang Violence

Show some statistical data about the increase of gangs and gang membership and the
gangs that are known for being around the city of each business owner.

Strategy 2: Persuade local business owners to call out when they see a suspect or suspect
activity nearby.
Tactics:

Send booklets informing about symbols, colors, and tattoos members use with images

and examples so they can identify suspects.

Set up a special phone number so business owners can make anonymous calls to inform
police officer about potential threats.
Evaluation

Objective 1
Criteria: 40 percent of key publics are aware of the increasing gang activities in Utah
within ten months.
Tool: Replication of state survey ten months after campaign launch.
Objective 2
Criteria: 30 percent of key publics are aware of gang symbols and places they meet
within ten months.
Tool: Replication of state survey ten months after campaign launch.
Objective 3
Criteria: Estimation of two new gang members in one month within ten months.
Tool: Police reports.

Curbing Gang Violence

Reference
n/a. (n/d). Local gangs An overview of gangs in Salt Lake County. Unified Police of Greater
Salt Lake. Retrieved from http://updsl.org/divisions/metro_gang_unit/local_gangs
n/a. (n/d). Salt Lake area gang project. Retrieved from http://www.wvcut.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6752
Fields, L. (2013, October 20). Controversial gang injunction overturned by Utah Supreme Court.
Abc News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/controversial-gang-injunctionoverturned-utah-supreme-court/story?id=20624285

Curbing Gang Violence

Rogers, M. (2012, March 29). Norteno gangs increasing presence in Utah. The Salt Lake
Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53818539-78/gang-lopeznorte%C3%B1o-leuluai.html.csp
Ashton, K. (2006, September 23). Gangs: Utah Valleys hidden problem. Daily Herald. Retrieved
from http://www.heraldextra.com/news/gangs-utah-valley-s-hiddenproblem/article_daf49f83-4c8e-51f2-b3f2-fe3ee7519737.html