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Gang Graffiti Ticks Upward Again in the Southwest Corner of Wilkes East Neighborhood

By admin - Posted on August 1st, 2011
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Gang Graffiti Ticks Upward Again in the Southwest Corner of Wilkes East Neighborhood. What It Means, and What You Can Do. Info here!
More graffiti trouble at Glen East.

Oh no, not again

This past week has seen another increase in gang graffiti near 162nd & NE Glisan, and north along NE 162nd Ave in the southwest corner of the neighborhood -- an area of West Gresham that has been plagued for some time by crime and graffiti.

The latest round of graffiti begin to appear last weekend near 164nd & NE Glisan; at the Glen East apartments, and on the traffic controller in front of Walgreens at the nearby intersection. Two large 'scribbles' (above, below), one on each apartment building, were found Sunday morning. On one building, the scrawl was especially disturbing as it included the tag "RIP MOCO". By Monday evening the graffiti on both buildings had been painted over, muting the message.

Later in the week, north along NE 162nd Av between Holliday & Wasco, neighbors who have been victims of several previous graffiti strikes woke Thursday morning to find themselves once again the victim, with new gang tags on their property. One tag was exceptionally large (below) covering nearly thirty feet.

Not the first time
Earlier this spring Wilkes East residents experienced a surge in gang graffiti throughout the entire area. Hardest hit were areas along NE 162nd Av and on NE Glisan St in the southwest corner of the neighborhood.

Neighbors and businesses who were tagged during this period in late April were 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.

The message behind the paint
To most people, graffiti represents thoughtless vandalism. To gang members, graffiti is a marking of territorial boundaries and serves as a warning or challenge to a rival gang. Graffiti is the underground newspaper of gangs. It can point out which gangs are fighting with each other, or be used to immortalize deceased gang members.

Gang Identity
Most of the gang activity in our area is by Latino gangs which are largely divided into two groups; Sureños (southsiders) and Norteños (northsiders). Gang names that utilize the number 13 (such as MVL 13), usually represent 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.

Report Gang Graffiti, Graffiti Removal
If you are the victim of gang graffiti you are required by city code to remove the tag as quickly as possible. Before you do, please take a photo documenting the tag and send it to appropriate authority listed below.

Beneath these photos is the Gresham and Portland hotline phone numbers for reporting gang activity plus links to report graffiti online. There's also several helpful resources with information on "how-to" remove graffiti.

Free Graffiti Removal Kits are 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.

 Neighborhood Watch. Citizens helping law enforcement increase the safety and sense of community in our neighborhoods
City of Gresham
Neighborhood Watch website

Related Photos
Click photo to enlarge. Hover photo for details


Glen East Apartments, 164th & NE Glisan. Aug 14, 2011
164th & NE Glisan. Aug 14,2011

Glen East Apartments, 164th & NE Glisan. Aug 14, 2011
164th & NE Glisan. Aug 14,2011

Glen East Apartments, 164th & NE Glisan. Aug 14, 2011
164th & NE Glisan. Aug 14,2011


162nd & NE Wasco. Aug 18, 2011
162nd & NE Wasco. Aug 18, 2011

162nd & NE Holliday. Aug 18, 2011
162nd & NE Holliday. Aug 18, 2011

173rd & NE Pacific. Aug 19, 2011
173rd & NE Pacific. Aug 19, 2011

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

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.