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| Gangs turn to Internet |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 07/06/2006 |
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LOS ANGELES, CA - Some of the countrys most notorious street gangs have gotten Web-savvy, showcasing illegal exploits, making threats, and honoring killed and jailed members on digital turf. "Im just being real and I aint got nothing to hide," said Kristopher "Kasper" Flowers, 30, a professed member of the 18th Street gang with facial tattoos of "18" and "666." The main 18th Street gang Web site has a link to "Kaspers World." Gangs once only roamed the streets of big cities but now can be found in 2,500 U.S. communities, according to the FBI . Police departments suddenly faced with the unwelcome arrivals are looking for help anywhere they can get it, including the gangs own easy-to-find Web sites. "In order to understand any subculture, be it al-Qaida, witches, devil worshippers or gangs, you have to be able to know their own language," Knox said. Chicago police recently arrested a teenager accused of spraying his gang nickname on a church by tracing the moniker to his Myspace.com account. His online profile included his address, photo and real name. Myspace.com representatives could not be reached for comment. "Maybe they think we dont look at it," Ferguson said. "But were out there gleaning information on them." "You can study gang blogs and, an hour or two into it, pick up on subtle word choices," Knox said. "These are holy words to them." "There may be a lot of wannabes out there," said Kenneth Davis, a school resource officer for the Yonkers Police Department in New York and an expert on gang graffiti and Web sites. "If I do, I tell them to get a life and do your own thing and dont try to be part of something else," he said. |
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