Merchants get tips on spotting gangs

It's a misconception that homegrown gangs are less of a threat than national gangs such as the Bloods or Crips, a law-enforcement official told retailers yesterday in Henrico County.

"They're the ones that you probably have to be more concerned about, because they're more prevalent," said April D.R. Crawford, a gang-awareness coordinator for the Virginia Attorney General's office, referring to homegrown gangs.

Crawford and Lt. Hamlet Hood of the Richmond Police Department spoke yesterday to more than 50 people at the Retail Merchants Association headquarters at a monthly meeting to discuss security for businesses.

Crawford and Hood told the business representatives how to identify possible gang activity, such as by recognizing people dressed in the same colors or flashing hand signs, and asked them to report it to police.

Crawford said even elementary school students now are seeking to join gangs for protection when they feel threatened. People often join gangs as a form of rebellion, to gain acceptance, for protection or to make money, Hood and Crawford said.

Crawford also showed the retailers examples of gang graffiti on buildings and told them it is important to notify police before painting over the graffiti, because the tags could provide useful intelligence.

Gang members might see removing their signs as a form of disrespect and resort to violence, but Hood said that is unlikely.

"We're not trying to terrify you," Crawford said. "We just want to make you safe."

Hood warned that gang members might seek to be hired by a business to learn about how it operates so they can target it.

Lisa Bailey, vice president of Express Auto Center on Jefferson Davis Highway in Chesterfield County, said ganglike graffiti was spray-painted on her business at least twice during the past couple of years.

She said she was concerned about her employees' safety and notified the police.

"I was surprised, because I did not know we had that in the area," she said.

Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or .