QUOTE(john @ Aug 5 2008, 03:43 PM)

I don't think we have a "gang" problem so much as a "bored white teenager who hates suburbia" problem with the graffiti, vandalism. I highly doubt they are going to knock over a liquor store or do a drive-by anytime soon. The kid with the knife probably got a hunting knife and has killed little more than a picnic bench with it. I'm not saying that's right, but I'm saying that's what bored teenagers with nothing to do end up doing. This is not a new problem.
The other day I saw a traffic copter who caught a high school skater knocking out sprinkler heads on video at their local skate park. Stupid kid is now in juvenile hall, parents will probably pay for the damages. The kid looked no different than any other high school kid in the suburbs.
Probably just comes down to proper parenting. Violent TV, movies and video games are part of our culture, like it or not. We can shelter them from it for only so wrong; we just need to teach them what's wrong and what's right. Obviously some of these kids were never taught the importance of respecting other's property. Let's hope it catches up to these guys.
Ok John
Im going to assume that you know nothing about gangs/ gang writtings, not because you are from Folsom or anything but just so that everyone is on the same page.
The graffiti was at the Thorndike park on the picnic benches. On one table it said "norte" which is spanish for "north" meaning he is/ is copying a northern mexican gang member, a.k.a. a norteno. Mexican gang members often pay tribute to the mexican mafia in both their graffiti and tattoos. The mexican mafia is known in spanish as "la eme" or "M" in english, which leads us to the second table. This table was tagged with "X3". X is the roman numeral for 10. 10+3=13 and the thirteenth letter of the alphabet is M. Im guessing we can at least rule out the "white" in "bored white teenager who hates suburbia" but I beleive we have to be a little more concerned and not turn the other cheak.
I would like to mention that I am not a gang expert or a law enforcement officer, I just know some stuff.