08:31 AM EST on Friday, November 7, 2003

By DAN STARKS / 6NEWS

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say there is not a school in the Charlotte are or in the state that probably has not been impacted by gang affiliation or gang association in some way.

Detective Milton Harris, who is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s gang task force, said they have even identified some gang members who attend private schools.

Gang members are scholarship students, middle class kids and they no longer target just the trouble makers.

“I always say if you have a child that’s being bullied or being threatened - that’s a potential gang member because if they can’t find protection at the school or at the home they're going to turn elsewhere to get the protection they think they need,” Harris said.

He recently shared specific ways to spot gang members with Charlotte-Mecklenburg School principals and administrators.

Harris said dress is just one key indicator.

Wearing certain colors excessively could be a sign of gang involvement. Blue and red are the most common. The Kings wear black and white and the Kroniks of south Charlotte wear Gothic black.

Even more telling is something known as fading, where clothing, jewelry or other items have an emphasis toward the left or right side.

“It could be a hat turned to one side or one pant leg up, one pant leg down,” Harris said. “It could be like I said a belt hanging off to one side. It could be a jacket or shirt hanging off one shoulder.”

More subtle signs of gang involvement could be found in a student’s notebook or on homework.

If a parent sees a doodle they don't understand they should ask their child about it and watch for something called slashing or crossing out certain letters.

“Let’s say for instance if I’m a Crip I will not write the letter ‘B’ without putting a slash through it,” Harris said.

The ‘B’ stands for Bloods, a rival gang.

Tattoos could also be a sign of trouble. One of the universal signs is the three dots or a dog paw. Others include a top hat, playboy bunny with a flopped ear, or dice.

Burning or branding is becoming a popular and dangerous trend. If a child shows signs of being in a physical fight and isn't willing to explain how it happened, a parent might want to look further at the reason.

“Let them educate you. Let them talk to you. Let them tell you what they're hearing, what’s going on in that school system,” Harris said. “Kids will learn things from other kids. It’s time we learned something from our children. If we learn something and have that two way communication street going I think that’s the best way to combat it.”

If a parent notices their child doing one of these things they don’t need to panic. He or she could simply be mimicking pop culture.

Police say usually there will be more than one sign.

To read more about potential signs of gang activity pick up a copy of this months Charlotte Magazine.