OPINION:
Most gang members wear clothing, have tattoos, flash hand signs and/or draw graffiti that identifies their gang affiliations. A large number of the tattoos and urban art contain the telephone area code identifying the gang’s city, county or region of control. If telephone area codes within certain metropolitan locations were changed, gang tattoos, graffiti and hand signs would be rendered inaccurate, outdated and confusing.
For example, many of the 50 gangs sporting the number “213” in their logos and tattoos are identified with Los Angeles County. The “510” area code is incorporated or camouflaged within the tattoos of nearly 40 gangs in the Oakland and the Bay Area.
Swapping the 214 and 469 area codes of Dallas with the 510 of Oakland, Calif., and the 305 of Miami would result in cross-country rival gangs wearing their opponents’ area code-tattoos. Recruiting new members would be difficult, producing confusing and internal leadership turmoil. Tattoos containing the original area codes would have to be reconfigured once new area codes are assigned. Ink parlors would have to work overtime and “legacy” gang members would be less inclined to flash their outdated area codes, resulting in fewer confrontations and more free time for oil painting and meditation.
The cost of this “transformation” would be quite high, as businesses struggle to revise their letterheads, business cards and websites every five years, but if it saves one life, wouldn’t it be worth it?
Everyone is “thinking outside the box” on this one, but the solutions may be underneath it.
DALE LOWDERMILK
Founder, notsafe.org
Santa Barbara, Calif.
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