By Jana Cone
TIFTON — Gangs have been a problem for Omega for the past two years.
“It is not so much crime as it is graffiti,” said Police Chief Walter Young. “Right now my problem has slowed down.”
Young said the gang problem in Omega is from the Norte-14 gang that was started in 1968. The gang in Tifton and Moultrie is SUR-13 that was started in 1957. Young said SUR-13 is known as The Mexican Mafia.
“Here the Hispanics, blacks and whites all run together,” he said.
“Usually they don’t do crimes in the town where they live,” Young said, explaining that Norte-14 would likely go to Tifton to commit crimes and SUR-13 might go to Omega.
“They mark their territory,” he said.
“The graffiti is just the way they communicate with each other,” Young said. “They all use a five-pointed star as a symbol. They have their own colors.”
Young said he has his own approach to the graffiti writers: “If I catch ‘em, I make them go back and clean it up.”
“I can spot them (gang members) on sight,” Young said. “I know all of them. I don’t let them sit around on city property.”
Young said several weeks ago on a Saturday night a house was “shot up” in Omega. They also had a drive-by shooting. “They didn’t hit anyone,” Young said. “They just want to be the bad boys.”
Speaking of the situation in Omega, Young said, “Here, the older ones get the younger ones to do it (commit crimes).” Young said that prevented the older boys from facing any serious legal problems.
Young said he gets help with his gang problem from the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office. “There is a federal gang task force in Valdosta,” he said.
Young and his officers have been educating themselves about gangs for some time now. “They (the gangs) are everywhere,” he said.
Speaking of Tifton, Young said, “I know they definitely have a problem. They can’t deny it any more.”
