By Shavonne Potts
Salisbury Post
More than a dozen volunteers scrubbed at the black graffiti-littered walls in the downtown area Thursday. In recent weeks, someone spray-painted what law enforcement officials believe are gang-related markings on the outside walls of several businesses.
The Salisbury Police Department’s Gang Unit and Explorer Scouts, the Salisbury Fire Department and N.C. Highway Patrol trooper spent a couple of hours scrubbing and painting over the gang garbage.
Vandals spray-painted “Dead End,” “Gun Powder” and “Dead End Mafia” on the rear and side walls of the former Carousel Cafe on West Fisher Street and Ralph Baker’s Shoes and La Verre Designs on South Main Street.
The graffiti faded to a light gray as Police Officer Suad Jakupovic, a Gang Unit investigator, sprayed white paint over the black writing.
“The quicker we remove it, the quicker it will stop,” Jakupovic said.
The graffiti is a way for gangs to mark their territory, he explained.
Removing the writings, also called tagging, lessens the chance a rival gang will retaliate by spraying over the graffiti.
Officers found most of the graffiti on walls in alleyways the public doesn’t typically notice.
Other areas that vandals targeted include not only multiple buildings in the 200 and 300 block of South Main Street but also the Salisbury Mall, Kidsports Skating Rink, the National Cemetery on Military Avenue and apartment buildings on Ellis Street.
Trooper R.T. Coward, a gang awareness instructor with the N.C. Highway Patrol, also helped obliterate the markings.
Although he doesn’t have many opportunities to work with city officers on such a project, he was glad when the chance came.
“I like participating in stuff like this,” Coward said.
Such projects also promote a good working relationship with the Police Department.
Trevor Monroe, 16, is just happy to see the graffiti gone. Monroe is an Explorer Scout.
“It’s good to get it off. It makes our city look nicer,” he said.
Brandon Avant, 18, another Explorer Scout, is adamant about the message the volunteers are sending to gangs.
“It shows them we ain’t gonna take them tagging our buildings. We are fighting back and getting it out of the city,” Avant said.
What happens if taggers return and add more gang messages?
Avant didn’t hesitate. “We’ll be back cleaning it off again,” he said.
“It’s a never-ending war until the gangs get the picture.”
Seeing the graffiti angers Tori Sherman, 19, also an Explorer Scout, but she feels better helping get ride of it.
“It’s also good for kids to see we care about our town,” Sherman said.
She’s proud she could serve as a positive role model for younger children, doing something to strengthen her community.
The Salisbury Fire Department sent Fire Control Specialists T.H. Earnhardt and C.J. Miller, who hosed down some of the spray paint after it was treated with removal cleanser.
“We work closely with the police. We don’t just do fires and rescues,” Earnhardt said.
She said the department responds to various types of public service calls. “We get paid by the citizens, and we’re here to assist them.”
During November’s Gang Summit, Salisbury Police Chief Mark Wilhelm said his department had identified more than 280 people suspected, admitted or validated as gang members in Salisbury.
The volunteers said they’ll need more than one evening to remove the gang vandalism.
Police Sgt. Rodney Harris oversees the department’s Explorer Scout program. Gang Unit Investigator J.J. Wilkerson also participated in Thursday’s cleanup efforts.
About a dozen of the 20 members of the Explorer unit participated.
The Explorer program aims to teach life skills and responsibility, and many of its members intend to go into law enforcement.
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Contact Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253 or spotts@salisburypost.com.