Gang Graffitti Surges in Wilkes East. Several Locations Repeatedly Tagged

Gang graffiti at Nadaka Nature Park
175th & NE Pacific, Gresham OR

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Neighbors express frustration with the escalating situation.

With the arrival of spring comes a surge in graffiti vandalisim as area street gangs mark their turf.

When you mention the topic of gangs in Portland, most people think of Bloods and Crips, the overwhelmingly black gangs that arrived here in the late '80s. But that's all changed.

The Rise of Mexican Gangs

As the African-American gang problem has slowly been brought under control, its Hispanic counterpart has quietly grown. In the early '90s, African-American gang members outnumbered Hispanic gangsters in Oregon by a ratio of 9 to 1. Two decade later that ratio has reversed.

Like Crips and Bloods, the Latino gangs are largely divided into two groups; Sureños (southsiders) and Norteños (northsiders).

The first Latino gang to be documented in Portland, in 1989, was the Eighteenth Street gang, a California import named for a Los Angeles thoroughfare. Others soon followed.

Over the past 20 years gangs have continued to move north and have spread to many Pacific Northwest cities like Salem, Woodburn, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Yakama, Tri-Cities and Spokane. In East Multnomah County alone there are more than 100 gangs; including several large gangs, many medium-to-small size gangs and many wannabe gangs with as few as two to three members.

The burgeoning Hispanic youth gang problem has taken social-service providers and police by surprise.

Gang Activity in Wilkes East

During a recent 48 hour period the Wilkes East neighborhood saw a surge in gang graffiti with more than a dozen taggings; many over 30' long -- and one more than 7' tall. Most of the tagging occurred along 162nd between NE Halsey and NE Holliday. Other tags could be seen at 164th & NE Glisan and around the Cypress Park area.

Neighbors and businesses who were tagged have been quick to remove the graffiti; sending a message back that graffiti will not be tolerated. One frustrated resident said their property had been tagged 3 times in the preceding two weeks -- one of those times, the day after the previous tag had been removed. (map and photos below)

Gangs responsible for the recent graffiti in the Wilkes East neighborhood include:

Mexican gangs

WS18ST (Westside 18th Street)
MVL 13 (Mi Vida Loca)
PBSK (Playboy Sureños Krew)

Black gangs

102ST (Inglewood 102nd Street)
CSK (Can't Stop Killing)

Gang Identity

For gang names that utilize the number 13 (such as MVL 13), that usually represents the letter "M" (the thirteenth letter of the alphabet) to denote an affiliation with the Sureños, or the Mexican Mafia (La Eme). So does the use of the word "Sur". For gang names that utilize the number 14, that usually represents the letter "N" (the fourteenth letter of the alphabet) to note an affiliation with the Norteños.

Hostility and Violence

The hostility of the graffiti is evident. On rare occasions, it can include profanity; in many places, gangsters throw out “challenges” to each other by crossing out their rival’s name before scrawling their own.

Latino gangs known for brazen attacks against rivals for even the smallest slight, are growing more dominant and more violent in Portland and in East County.

Unlike African American gangs, which revolve around the drug trade, “Latino gangs are not moneymaking machines. It’s about pride, machismo,” says a Portland gang enforcement officer. “They see themselves as street soldiers of neighborhoods, fighting against enemies, perceived or otherwise.”

Gang activity in the metro area is most prevalent in North and Northeast Portland, and in East County out through the Rockwood neighborhood in Gresham where residences of known gang members are clustered along East Burnside Street, Stark Street and 162nd Avenue, scattered among a sea of look-alike low-rent apartment buildings.

Many Hispanic gangs in East Portland fight for territory along the TriMet MAX light rail line. In past years there has been several gang-related assaults, robberies, stabbings and shootings. Gangs also see the MAX line as prime real estate for drug sales.

Gang Enforcement Faces Budget Cuts

East Metro Gang Enforcement Team (EMGET) is composed of six officers and one detective from Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, and Multnomah County. Last summer EMGET had 18 shots-fired calls, 90 felony arrests, 14 gang felony assaults, and numerous reports of gang street activity. EMGET has observed an influx of gang members from Portland moving to East County over the past year with new gang activity concentrated in the area located from NE Halsey to SE Main and NE 155th to NE 201st.

Approximately $3.8 million in state funds pays for specialty police units that work to reduce gang violence in Portland and Multnomah County, including Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village. This funding was one of the last items added back to the budget last session, making the future funding of EMGET uncertain -- especially this year.

Vandals Seldom Caught

So what can you do to protect your property from being scribbled? The short answer is not much. Graffiti is a crime of opportunity. If there's a flat surface (regardless of size) sooner of later it may become a target for graffiti vandals.

Police say it’s rare to make arrests for graffiti because most of the tagging happens at night, as gang members walk or bike down the street. Individuals who are caught in the act can be arrested and charged with criminal mischief and face fines up to $500 for applying graffiti or possessing graffiti implements such as an aerosol paint container, felt tip marker, or an etching device (ie glass cutter, awl, etc).

After years of battling graffiti the City of Portland past an ordinance requiring all merchants keep aerosol paints locked-up and consumers to provide personel identification before purchase. The ordinance has worked well in reducing graffiti vandalism in Portland. On the otherhand the City of Gresham has no such ordinance; making it easy for gangsters to obtain spray paint which is a factor in the graffiti problem in East Multnomah County.

Reporting Gang Activity, Graffiti and Graffiti Removal

Beneath the photos below is the Gresham and Portland hotline phone numbers for reporting gang activity plus online links for reporting graffiti. You'll also find some helpful resources with information on graffiti removal.

Free Graffiti Removal Kits are also available through the Community Service Office at Gresham City Hall. Each Kit contains graffiti removal solution (which really works), gloves, goggles, a mask, and a scrub pad. Call 503-618-2582 for more information.

Related Photos

Photos below, except (1) occurred in a 48 hour period Apr 7-8, 2011.
(Photo numbers correspond to the map locations). Click photo to enlarge.

Gang graffiti tags around Wilkes East neighborhood	(13) 174th & NE Pacific. 102nd St / CSK challenge	(14) 175th & NE Pacific. West Side 18th St
(6) 162nd & NE Halsey. MVL Sur 13	(3) 162nd & NE Multnomah. MVL 13	(2) 162nd & NE Holladay. MVL 13
(1) 165th & NE Glisan. MVL 13	(12) 172nd & NE Irving. CSK	(12) 172nd & NE Irving. CSK
(4) 162nd & NE Wasco. MVL 13	(5) 162nd & NE Wasco MVL 13	(7) 162nd & NE Halsey. MVL 13
(9) 162nd & NE St George. (unknown)	(8) 162nd & NE San Rafael. (unknown)	(10) 161st & NE Sandy. 102nd St
(11) 154th & NE Sandy. 102nd St	(15) 181st & NE Oregon. PBSK	City of Gresham Neighborhood Watch website

Gang Hotlines

East Metro Gang Enforcement Team (EMGET)
503-618-2253 (Gresham & Portland)
Gang Activity Tip Line, 503-666-1844 (City of Gresham)

Graffiti Resources

Graffitti Reporting Line, 503-618-3089 (City of Gresham)
Grafitti Removal Brouchure (City of Gresham)
See page 2 for detailed instructions
Graffiti Code GRC 7.80 (City of Gresham)
Report Graffiti Online (City of Gresham)
- Click "Submit"
Graffiti Task Force Hotline, 503-823-4824 (City of Portland)
Graffiti: What It Says, What You Can Do (City of Portland)

The need to belong fuels gang affiliation (Portland Tribune)

Gang Tags & More

Advisory: The website links below show 1000's of gang tag images from around the Pacific Northwest and may contain offensive or objectionable material.