Hays County residents concerned about gang-related graffiti near neighborhood

HAYS COUNTY, Texas - Hays County residents are concerned about gang-related graffiti near their neighborhood. 

The sheriff’s office said they are aware and are investigating.

The backstory:

Blue and black spray paint was seen near the Crosswinds subdivision in Hays County.

"I'm just seeing tags and stuff and then, I guess hearing what people think it might be, it gets concerning," a Hays County resident said.

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On fences, stop signs, and utility boxes are letters and symbols that represent at least one gang.

"Nobody wants that kind of stuff around them," the Hays County resident said.

Why do gangs use graffiti?

Dig deeper:

Terrance Stone, who has been in or around gangs his entire life, said it’s about jurisdiction for these groups.

"Whether it be a geographical jurisdiction where they live, where they operate, where they do business, and it can be a mental jurisdiction as well. So that they can have a stronghold over the people that are involved in gangs with them. Also, an emotional jurisdiction, right, also based on fear and things like that as well," Gang intervention prevention specialist and Founder and CEO of Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, Terrance Stone, said. 

He said graffiti is a way to mark the jurisdiction.

"A gang will go to either their area or to a whole new area and write their neighborhood on the wall and probably write the moniker of who did it as well. It is to let the people know over there that they understand what's happening on that wall or wherever they wrote it at to see that, okay, this gang is here now, this is our territory, or just to let them know, like, hey, we came to your neighborhood, and we wrote on your neighborhood," Stone said.

Stone said after analyzing this graffiti though, this group may not be as organized as they seem.

"Don't be overly concerned, but be overly watchful in your community and see what's happening. Don't let them disrupt your day to day, don't let them disrupt the peace that you have within your community, but just band together," Stone said.

What's next:

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office said investigators have received reports of this graffiti, but do not have any leads at this time. They said patrol deputies that work the area are aware and will be in the area as call load allows.

If anyone has any information about the graffiti, call the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.