2008 Woodie Awards
Gang activity increases in Northwest Arkansas
Jack Willems
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News
Gang activity in Northwest Arkansas has been increasing for more than 10 years, but some people are choosing to ignore it, an area sergeant said Tuesday at a presentation at the Pat Walker Health Center.
Sgt. Kelly Cradduck, the supervisor of the Rogers gang unit, deals with gang members from some of the most violent gangs in the country on a daily basis, he said.
"The problem we have right now is that people don't want to believe it," Cradduck said. "Our society says we do not have a problem, and so we ignore the problem."
During the presentation, Cradduck flashed pictures of local gang members making hand gestures and wearing gang colors that he took off MySpace.com while explaining the significance of the gestures.
"This is not a new problem," Cradduck said. "This is an old problem we do not hear about much."
Cradduck's unit began after Latino residents of Rogers complained about being robbed and harassed by a Latino gang, Cradduck said.
Latino gangs typically come from two national gangs, the Mexican Mafia and the Nuestra Familia, he said. Gangs associated with the Mexican Mafia, such as Mara Salvatrucha 13, Brown Pride 13 and Sureno 13, wear blue and use the number 13, Cradduck said. Gangs associated with the Nuestra Familia, such as Norteno 14 and the 18th Street Gang, wear red and use the number 14, he said.
"We have a big problem with California gangs because after three felonies in California, it's life," Cradduck said. "When gang members with two convictions have a warrant for them, they come here. California does not extradite because they don't want the gang members, and the gang members know it."
Not all the gangs in Northwest Arkansas are Latino gangs, he said. White supremacist gangs such as the Peckerwoods, the Aryan Brotherhood and the New Aryan Empire have also become a problem.
These white supremacists, who are more likely to live in rural areas, usually tattoo their bodies with three leaf clovers, the number 666, SS bolts and WAR tattoos, signifying loyalty to the White Aryan Resistance, Cradduck said.
Sgt. Kelly Cradduck, the supervisor of the Rogers gang unit, deals with gang members from some of the most violent gangs in the country on a daily basis, he said.
"The problem we have right now is that people don't want to believe it," Cradduck said. "Our society says we do not have a problem, and so we ignore the problem."
During the presentation, Cradduck flashed pictures of local gang members making hand gestures and wearing gang colors that he took off MySpace.com while explaining the significance of the gestures.
"This is not a new problem," Cradduck said. "This is an old problem we do not hear about much."
Cradduck's unit began after Latino residents of Rogers complained about being robbed and harassed by a Latino gang, Cradduck said.
Latino gangs typically come from two national gangs, the Mexican Mafia and the Nuestra Familia, he said. Gangs associated with the Mexican Mafia, such as Mara Salvatrucha 13, Brown Pride 13 and Sureno 13, wear blue and use the number 13, Cradduck said. Gangs associated with the Nuestra Familia, such as Norteno 14 and the 18th Street Gang, wear red and use the number 14, he said.
"We have a big problem with California gangs because after three felonies in California, it's life," Cradduck said. "When gang members with two convictions have a warrant for them, they come here. California does not extradite because they don't want the gang members, and the gang members know it."
Not all the gangs in Northwest Arkansas are Latino gangs, he said. White supremacist gangs such as the Peckerwoods, the Aryan Brotherhood and the New Aryan Empire have also become a problem.
These white supremacists, who are more likely to live in rural areas, usually tattoo their bodies with three leaf clovers, the number 666, SS bolts and WAR tattoos, signifying loyalty to the White Aryan Resistance, Cradduck said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 8
Philip Thompson
posted 2/22/08 @ 2:32 AM CST
Great; an unprecedented invasion of immigrants flooding into northwest Arkansas is turning us into a virtual colony of Mexico and Central America, and a significant feature of these folks' RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE are violent gangs like Salvatrucha and Diez-y-ocho that make the 'Crips' and 'Bloods' of earlier days look like Boy Scouts! CELEBRATE DIVERSITY!
N8
posted 2/22/08 @ 2:44 PM CST
The source of the gangs is prohibition, same as the prohibitions gangs of early last century. If you want to kill off gangs cut their funding source. The war on drugs gave us these gangs, end the war and the gang problem diminishes, cut the roots and the plant dries up. (Continued…)
David Smith
posted 2/26/08 @ 7:26 AM CST
The legislation in Oklahoma to cut down on illeagal immigrants also cut down on violent gang activity.Arkansas needs to do the same thing. The gangs don't like the new laws and the attention it draws to their activities,and since they are preying on many of their own such as illegals they leave. (Continued…)
Joseph
posted 3/10/08 @ 2:29 PM CST
The fact that Sgt. Cradduck mentioned that many Latinos grew in a gang environment DOE NOT include of the Latinos we know, I know hard working people that want to make an honest living. (Continued…)
Derrick
posted 3/14/08 @ 8:57 AM CST
The gangs will neva go away...People can try but it wnt work....As you can see gangs stand together for life.
ESE PINCHE STOMPS
posted 9/06/08 @ 3:33 PM CST
FUCK ALL YOU LAMES FUCKS SAYING YOU COME OUT HERE TO STOP BUT YOU KEPP MOVING WE ARE REAL SOUTH SIDERS TRUE COME RAL MEXICAN GANGS NOT LATINO BUT MEXICANAND FUCK CRADDUCK ESE HE AINT GOT SHIT ON ME REAL SOUTH SIDERS BITCH COME TO CALIFORNIA WE'L SHOW YOU WAZZ UP SUR LADO WHITTIEROS TOKEROS CLICKA
Pryce
posted 11/17/08 @ 11:09 PM CST
i think its fucked up that the kids here are gonna start gangs here and they dont even know what a gangster is. they told me i dont have any experince with any gangs but they are wrong. (Continued…)
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