6c Tattoos

Tattoos

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Street Gang and Prison Gang Tattoos 


Why are tattoos used by gangs?

What do gang tattoos mean? 

A tattoo is a word, which is a derivation of "tatu" (a Tahitian word). It is believed that the history of tattoos goes back to 12000BC. However, as per recorded history, the tradition of having tattoos goes back to the time when great pyramids of Egypt were being built.


Using tattoos has been a part of almost every culture, and the same goes for the prison and street gangs. Members of street gangs or prison gangs wear these tattoos for several reasons.


The frequency or intensity of using various tattoos depends on different things. A gang member who has faced imprisonment will have different tattoos representing this fact. There can be more than one symbol in the tattoos used by the members to represent the uniqueness of a gang. Apart from those unique gang tattoos, gang members may wear tattoos like spider webs (representation of imprisonment), a teardrop beneath the eyes, or simply this popular motto "Thug life."


Also, tattoos are used for intimidation purposes, especially by those gang members who represent a gang having an inclination towards violence. These members wear name tattoos of their gangs so that others can know that the member is representing a specific gang.


Unauthorized gang tattoos

If a non-gang member wears an unauthorized tattoo, he can jeopardize his wellbeing, especially if he is facing imprisonment. Prison gang members will not allow a non-gang individual to wear their tattoo, and they will have it removed either by cutting a slice from the skin or by burning the tattoo with a hot iron, etc. 


Mistaken identity

It happens very often that innocents get themselves killed or hurt by the gang members just by wearing colors or clothes of a specific gang. Gang members are aware of the tattoos and members of rival gangs. They are aware of symbols used by them, and they also know rival gangs can use those symbols or graffiti to insult or disrespect a gang. All of this information is used by gang members in disrespecting the rival gangs.


It happens very often that a person goes to a tattoos parlor, and he/she chooses something that looks appealing to them or something that represents them in the best way. However, if the selected tattoo is, by any chance, identical to a symbol or tattoo used by a specific gang, then it is very likely that rival gang members may consider him as a member of the rival gang. Therefore, it can be harmful to use such tattoos.


If someone is going to wear a tattoo, he/she must be aware of the tattoos used by the gangs. However, the main problem is that there are endless symbols or tattoos used by gangs, and it can be very difficult to identify.

The tattoo on the left side is not representing any gang. The tattoo on the right side is used by a gang known as Almighty Latin Kings. The symbol used is a lion's head, but the design is different. But, it can be very confusing for someone because both tattoos include the lion's head.


Area code tattoos

Gangs also use specific codes as tattoos to identify their gang members in different areas. For example, some common area codes include 614 (Columbus, OH), 213 (Los Angeles), 817 (Fort Worth), 415 (San Francisco area). 


Teardrop tattoo

This is another symbol or tattoo that is very common in kids or teens nowadays. It is a sign of toughness, and it is also considered as fashion. It is a "teardrop."

This symbol has gain popularity with time, and it is used by non-gang members as well as gang members of all ethnicities and races.


The teardrop tattoo or symbol can be traced back to California in 1940, where it was used by Hispanic gangs. Some people also believe that the origin of this symbol is Puerto Rico and Mexico. Either way, this symbol has evolved over time. Originally, it was used by the gang members as a symbol of imprisonment ranging from 1-10 years. However, now it used to represent different causes.


People Nations and the Folks or the two alliances of many gangs used symbols either on the left or right sides, respectively. The teardrop symbol is used by the members of the gang to show their allegiance to one nation or other. Unfortunately, this symbol is also used by the kids or youth to look "cool" or to admire the gangs and their beliefs. It is also a way to show off, and this trend has been catching fire. This has created great confusion as these kids are often considered as gang members by rival gangs. Also, this symbol is being used by celebrities to represent different things.

The star of the National Basketball League, Larry Hughes, who is a player of the Cleveland Cavaliers, is a famous example of wearing the teardrop symbol. He has two teardrops beneath his left eye as he wears them to remember his lost brother. He stated that he had no idea that this symbol holds significance for a gang. 

Nowadays, there are two different and distinctive teardrop tattoos. One, the closed teardrop, and the other is the open teardrop. Originally, the close teardrop represents that the wearer lost a friend, family member, or someone who was very close to the wearer. The open teardrop represents that the wearer has committed a murder. However, the meanings of these symbols have changed lately, and these symbols are not a representation of original meanings nowadays. Its meanings are different for different people now, and it depends on the context in which someone wears them. It is still confusing whether someone wears it to remember someone or to represent murder. Or is it just stupidity?


There is another type of teardrop tattoo that has gain recognition. It is called "half teardrop." It represents someone who has lost a friend or a close one because of a murder, and the murderer was killed by the tattoo wearer.


It has been reported that the prisoners in the Australian penal system (convicted for child molestation or illegal sexual activities) were forced to wear the teardrop tattoos so that people can be alarmed or alerted of the crimes committed by the tattoo wearer. 


It is to be noted that no one can tell about the reason behind wearing the teardrop tattoo accurately. It has different meanings for different wearers, and it is hard to tell who someone is wearing this symbol.

Dot Tattoos

This is another type of tattoo used, and there are mostly three or five dots tattoos. Commonly, people wear these tattoos on their wrists, elbows, or the webs of their hands. Mostly, if there are three dots in a triangular shape (just like the picture) used by the gang members, it means that there can be only three places for a member of a gang, and they are a hospital, prison, and grave.

However, gang members of Sur 13 or Sureños wear three dots on one wrist and one dot on another wrist to represent the number 13. 


Usually, a tattoo with three dots in a triangular shape (placed between thumb and forefinger) depict different meanings. Generally, it means that there can be only three places for a member of a gang, and they are hospital, prison, and grave. However, I believe that they can be

referred to as 3 "I"s used in the gang culture. I.e, internment, incarceration, and injury. Sometimes, these dots are used to represent a motto "mi Vida Loca" which is translated as ("my crazy life"). People also wear them as "party dots." Apart from that, the gang members of Los Vatos Locos (The Crazy Dudes or Guys) gang also wear this tattoo. Therefore, only the wearer can tell why he/she is wearing this tattoo. 


Apart from other representations, the three dots tattoo is also a popular generic tattoo used by Latino teenagers. It is termed as "tres puntos" (Spanish). These teenagers do not wear this tattoo to represent any gang membership.


Tattoos - A Law Enforcement Tool 

Gang tattoos can prove to be a very efficient tool for law enforcement agencies for the identification of suspected or known gang members. If an officer encounters someone who is wearing a tattoo, he/she must try to get as much information as possible about the tattoos used by the individual either he or she is a member of a gang or not. It would be better if the officer can take photographs of that tattoo and have those photographs stored in the databases. 


However, always keep this in mind that if a person is wearing a "generic" tattoo, it does not necessarily mean that he or she belongs to any gang. There are other specific identifiers or factors that must be used or considered while identifying a person as a gang member. 

 


This article by Chris Weller in 2014, highlights the increase of tattoos among younger generations and its relation to the increasing identity crisis.

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