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nvestigators: Congress looking into gang graffiti in Alaska Air jet cargo holds
04:30 PM PST on Monday, February 27, 2006
By SUSANNAH FRAME / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - As a result of a KING 5 investigation, Congress is looking into reports of gang graffiti found inside the cargo holds of Alaska Airlines passenger jets and what it could mean for airline safety.
Pilots and other workers started complaining of gang graffiti in the cargo holds of Alaska Airlines aircraft nine months ago.
The company told these employees not to worry, that none of it was gang-related.
But that changed since we started asking questions: The company message has changed and so have police tactics.
And now a U.S. House committee is looking at the potential security risk as well.
The flying public sees clean planes coming in and out of the gates and ramp workers loading your bags and pets in the cargo bins.
Graffiti experts say is associated with gangs covers some areas of the cargo holds of Alaska Airlines planes.
Inside the planes' cargo areas is a different story. The KING 5 Investigators have photographs of dozens of images of graffiti that six different gang and Homeland Security experts tell us are troubling.
"The way they spell, what they write, is all consistent with gang activity," according to Richard Valdemar, who started the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department gang unit in 1978. He's one of the top gang experts in the country.
His biggest concern is that gang members, with full access to aircraft, live in a culture that for the right price or bragging rights, could put drugs, weapons, or even explosives in a cargo bin.
"By definition they are gang members, which means they are outlaws. They are outside of our system of law. They answer to their own system of law, which is a criminal culture, and so, they are for sale," Valdemar said.
Retired Sgt. Peter Caram created the counter-terrorism unit for all of New York's airports. His analysis of the situation is this: "The gang activity has disclosed a serious Homeland Security issue with respect to access to cargo hold areas of aircraft, and is a potential avenue for terrorists to exploit."
Given that information, what's being done about this?
Two weeks ago Port of Seattle Police Chief Tim Kimsey told us he wasn't worried about the graffiti, because no gang-related criminal activity had shown up at the airport and there was nothing to investigate.
Now the department says the chief was misinformed, that they have been working the case and that since our report, the department is beefing up patrols and police tactics.
"I can assure you we are taking a very aggressive approach on this," Dep. Chief Gale Evans said, explaining that they're establishing an intelligence database on any type of gang association or activity in and around the airport and the seaport.
Graffiti found on the planes includes rival gang graffiti from the Crips and Bloods, as well as the violent Norte 14 gang out of the Oakland and San Francisco areas, arch enemies of the Surenos from places including Orange County which uses Area Code 714 as a marking.
The graffiti points to drug use on the job, including an image of a marijuana joint with a 206 Seattle Area Code nearby. Underneath the drawing is the words: "Reason for delays."
"Whoever's doing it feels safe in that environment, that they're not going to be seen, they're not going to be caught," Valdemar said. "There's going to be no repercussions. And so if you allow that to happen, you are going to have a problem."
Gang members have been tied to terrorist activities in the past.
Jose Padilla, the accused "dirty bomber" was a member of the Latin Kings gang in Chicago.
In November, the feds charged him with being a member of a North American terrorist support cell and with conspiracy to murder, kidnap and provide material support to terrorists.
Some members of Congress have taken notice, including Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.
"Folks will need to understand that I'm sure Congress will see this as a serious problem and the flying public will see this as a serious problem that needs some action."
Larsen sits on the congressional Aviation Subcommittee.
After seeing our report and photos, he contacted committee staffers.
The committee wants to know if this is a problem across the country.
"This opens up a serious question about safety that we need to address and maybe we'll open it up and there's nothing there," Larsen said. "But, based on your report, my guess is that if we open up this issue we're going to find more and it will be Congress' job to move the ball forward on this."
The experts we consulted all said the airline should also take a more active role to weed out gang members. After all, the planes move through several different airports.
For their part, since we started asking questions, Alaska has banned all Sharpies and magic markers on the ramp, and they tell us they've increased patrols near the cargo bins.
You might think these workers go through some sort of screening. While they do get a background check to get a security badge, many people may be surprised to find out that employees who load bags, cater the planes and fuel them, do not go through metal detectors like the pilots do. It's not mandated by law.
Rep. Larsen says he'll push Congress to direct the Transportation Security Administration to review the background check process and possibly take up the issue of mandating metal detectors for all workers with access to airplanes.