Bloods and crips gang signs
Some of their favorite teams include the San Francisco Forty-Niners, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Chicago Bulls. They like to wear sports clothing, including team “Starter” jackets that show their gang color. Female associates undergo a similar initiation process some sets require women to be “sexed in” by having sex with some or all of the set members.īloods members identify themselves through various gang indicators such as colors, clothing, symbols, tattoos, jewelry, graffiti, language, and hand signs. In some sets, the commission of a criminal act is also meant to prove that the initiate is not a police officer. Others go through an initiation process that might include committing an armed robbery to bring something of value back to the gang, performing an act of violence, or being beaten by members in a ceremony called a “beat-in,” “kangaroo walk,” or “bull-pen.” This initiation is meant to test the courage and loyalty of the member. Some may join the gang because they are friends or relatives of the gang leaders. It also offers immediate gratification to economically disadvantaged youth who view the trappings of gang life-gold jewelry, cash, expensive sports clothing-as particularly alluring.īloods members may go through different types of initiations. Gang membership offers youth a sense of belonging and protection. Bloods recruit heavily among school-age youth in predominantly poor African American communities. Recruitment is often influenced by a recruitee’s environment. To the extent that women belong to the gang, they are usually associate members and tend to be used by their male counterparts to carry weapons, hold drugs, or by prostituting themselves to make money for their set.
BLOODS AND CRIPS GANG SIGNS FULL
“Associates” are not full members, but they identify with the gang and take part in various criminal activities. Soldiers have a strong sense of commitment to their set and are extremely dangerous because of their willingness to use violence both to obtain the respect of gang members and to respond to any person who “disrespects” the set. The majority of set members are called “Soldiers,” who are typically between the ages of 16 and 22. A set leader is not elected but rather asserts himself by developing and managing the gang’s criminal enterprises through his reputation for violence and ruthlessness and through his personal charisma. A leader, typically an older member with a more extensive criminal background, runs each set. These levels of membership indicate status within a gang. There is no known national leader of the Bloods but individual Bloods sets have a hierarchical leadership structure with identifiable levels of membership. Members range in age from early teens to mid-twenties, however some hold leadership positions into their late twenties and occasionally thirties. Most Bloods members are African American males, although some sets have recruited female members as well as members from other races and ethnic backgrounds. Each set has its own leader and generally operates independently from the others. Membership Bloods refers to a loosely structured association of smaller street gangs, known as “sets,” which has adopted a common gang culture. New members are often required to commit a crime to demonstrate their commitment to the gang and/or to prove they are not cops.
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Violence can also erupt as they either defend drug territory or if they perceive that someone is not showing them “respect.” Often those trying to be accepted as members are most violent. Bloods engage in local drug sales, robbery, burglary, and assaults within and between gang members.