The reports are still being prepared by the officers as I write this post, but the Northeast Team made five nice arrests early this morning when they interrupted a group who had spray painted gang graffiti at several locations in the vicinity of UNL's east campus.
Officer Nichole Loos spotted the suspects leaving the area in a vehicle, and some good interviewing and observation tied them to the crimes. One of the defendants has an extensive history of vandalizing property with gang graffiti. In 2006, when he was 16 years old, Officer Forrest Dalton cleared dozens of cases which he linked to this suspect through follow-up investigation. He went to juvenile court for those. The outcome might be a little different if he is convicted of the current charges: he's 18 now, a grown-up who can face the music in adult court.
For those who (incorrectly) think that gang activity isn't much of an issue in Lincoln, we have now had 357 incidents of gang-related graffiti reported in 2008.
Unsure of the origin, but while driving in the trailer court just NE of 1st and Cornhusker, we noticed a rash of new tags - on the Gas N Shop and public buildings in the trailer court.
ReplyDeleteSSW 13 and some other characters.
The results probably wouldn't surprise anyone, but have you ever determined what proportion of known juvenile gang members in Lincoln come from a household with their two married biological parents, two married parents (but one a step-parent), female-headed single-parent, male-headed single parent, co-habitating unmarrieds, both biological parents absent (e. g. living with grandma), and the other usual permutations? I thought maybe you'd done a pie chart on that, or maybe not.
ReplyDeleteChief, is it possible to put names to the gangs that are present in Lincoln? I travel to TX for work and my clients there have common knowledge of the gangs that are active in their area.
ReplyDelete250dollar fine which their parents will pay and 1yr probation.big deal!
ReplyDeleteTotally off the subject but...
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Chief!
Thanks for all the great information you put out and for coming to the IACA conference where I heard you speak (and learned about your blog).
Sorry I don't have a nice present for you, but your welcome back in warm sunny Florida any time.
This individual, when and if he is convicted, should spend many, many long cold days scrubbing graffiti off of walls wherever it's found.
ReplyDeleteAlas, we no longer live in a society where the individual is held accountable for his or her actions.
Some dare to call it "progress."
Is it just me or is anyone else shocked that the new mural on the alley wall at 13th and E has not been vandalized yet? This wall has probably been repainted hundreds of times since I've lived in this area. Now if we can just keep the drunks out of the alley at 2am....
ReplyDeleteThanks Chief, I truly enjoy your blog and also the fine work from the officers at the substation across the street from said alley to remove the screaming idiots at 2am. Be safe
12:09-
ReplyDeleteDitto on the brick mural that adorns the north wall of the F Street Community Center. I think vandals avoid defacing art--especially art created by and for their own community. Maybe there's hope that a scintilla of social conscience survives in some of these cretins.
This morning, 3/2/2009, between 7 and 8 AM, some graffiti was painted on the side of an abandon house at 2800 NW 6th St, in GasLight Village.
ReplyDeleteThe letters are SURM (SUR 13?) and VHD, if I read the stylized letters correctly.
My guess is that it was a kid waiting for the school bus. I don't imagine real gangsters get up that early unless mom makes them.
A tagger struck again, on the same property as before, but this time it is a Crips tag. Occurred between 6:30am, when I let my dog out to do its thing, and 8am when my wife noticed it.
ReplyDeleteThe newest graffiti was painted on the side of an abandon house at 2800 NW 6th St, in GasLight Village.
Turf war?