Thread: Gang's turf, cop's beat

http://www.southeasttexaslive.com



12/04/2005
Gang's turf, cop's beat
By DEE DIXON
The Enterprise

Graffiti tags abound in Port Arthur. Gang members paint the tags to mark their turf or communicate with other gang members.
PORT ARTHUR -- The five cousins from Mexico hang tight and wear white on black Adidas and black bandannas when they run the streets.
They are polite, fun and serious about family. They're also serious about their gang, MS-13.

Gathered in a semicircle in the shade of a tree, the cousins from Michoacan, Mexico, lifted their shirts and showed the MS-13 tattoos inked into their skin as they talked about gang life.

They didn't reveal much.

Unlike their notorious counterparts in larger cities, these young men said they represent their home turf in Mexico -- Sureños Michoacan, the 16th largest state.

It's where they get their MS from.

On one level, they seemed light-hearted as they shared a late afternoon snack.

However, they remained alert and closely watched the vehicles driving by.

One of the cousins, a 22-year-old with an inviting smile and broad shoulders, is the group's enforcer, according to Port Arthur police Officer Marcelo Molfino, who keeps tabs on Hispanic gangs.

The enforcer talked about his family's long-standing and successful brick-making business back in Michoacan. He said working there was hard labor.

He knew because he tried it.

As a teenager, his grandfather sneaked into the United States to work at an area shipyard, he said.

The enforcer spoke with reverence about his grandfather "swimming over through Tiajuana ... walking through the desert without water."

It's a hardship the enforcer never had to endure, because his grandfather lived frugally and eventually brought his family over.

As the impromptu interview wore on, the cousins grew anxious. The sun was setting and it would be dark soon.

"Vamos!"

They jumped into a car and waved goodbye.

A few weeks later, Molfino drove through their neighborhood again.

One was at work. Another worked on a car in the driveway, while a third was somewhere on a date.

Molfino said these gang members come from hard-working families.

The enforcer has managed to stay out of trouble since Hurricane Rita by working out of town, Molfino said.

He said they get into trouble because of what he called "beer courage."

On Nov. 12, some gang members barged into a party and started a fight involving 25 to 30 people. Although police officers were there, the melee ended only when shots rang out, he said.

"They are going through an initiation phase right now," he said. "And they are getting a lot more bold."

A few weeks ago, a police officer broke up a fight at Memorial High School after classes had ended. When the gang members saw the officer later at a store, they tried to recruit younger members to attack him.

Molfino said he is starting to see more young, bald-headed kids wearing the signature No. 13 on their jerseys and shades at night.

"They are starting to tag with the older guys," Molfino said about the graffiti they spray-paint to mark their turf. "They want to be cholos. It's like thug life."

But the gangs' victims aren't always their direct targets.

Instead, a 25-year-old mother of two said this summer, while playing on a computer at her mother's house, one of her children was nearly killed by a bullet fired at the house by gang members.

The gang members' targets were her brothers, who aren't in a gang.

"It makes me sad," said the woman, whose father came to Port Arthur 30 years ago so his children could attend college.

"We are all the same. We came with nothing," she said. "We all came for the same thing -- to get a better life."

Earlier this summer, some Port Arthur Police Department officers attended the Texas Gang Investigators Association conference in Houston to pick up the latest information about gangs and their activities.

Sgt. David Davis, a Harris County Sheriff's Department deputy who is the Texas Gang Investigators Association East Region director, said the slow-moving Mexican gangs are crossing the border and gaining territory in Texas by forming alliances with gangs in small communities.

He understands why police departments won't admit gang problems.

"Because that means someone has to generate resources to handle the issues," said Davis, who explained how state laws limit how police gather data on gangs. "It takes a lot of manpower to actively handle or deal with ... gang activity."

Davis said having beat officers is the best way to address the gang problem because "they have been trained in recognizing the various activities."

As a first-generation Latino-American whose family is from Uruguay, Molfino sees himself as a role model to Port Arthur teens and young adults.

"They know their mom and dad took a chance coming here," Molfino said of young gang members. "I tell them, 'How can you disrespect your parents when you have an opportunity the rest of your family doesn't have?' "

And many do not. Molfino said although gang presence is increasing, it still represents a distinct minority of the Latino population.

Some gang members learn to trust Molfino.

"I didn't realize the impact the Hispanic community had on the police department and how the police could impact the Hispanic community," said Molfino.

Driving through a neighborhood he calls Port Arthur's Avenues, he throws a peace sign to a teenager in baggy jeans with a T-shirt draped over his shoulder.

The teen tapped two fingers over his heart and threw the peace sign back.

Wow, I didn't realize that they had changed their color to black. I've been seeing so many teens around here (northern ca) wearing black hoodies. Not seeing so much red anymore.