A wall in downtown Cleveland is covered in gang graffiti. The image was shown as part of a recent Bradley County Juvenile Courts presentation to the Cleveland City Council.VIDEO
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CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Gang graffiti and tattoos are on the rise in the Cleveland area, and Bradley County Juvenile Court is calling for a communitywide response.
In a recent presentation to the Cleveland City Council, Juvenile Court officials discussed evidence of a growing gang culture and strategies for combating the problem.
“We’ve seen an increase in Bradley County in the last three to six months of gang graffiti,” said Terry Gallaher, director of Bradley County Juvenile Court. “In our detention facility we’ve also been detaining kids with gang tattoos.”
Other signs are there, said Nancy Stanfield, senior youth service officer for Bradley County Juvenile Court and director of the Law Enforcement Academic and Fitness Academy. Industrial locales such as the Old Woolen Mill in Cleveland have been targeted for graffiti, as has a church in Charleston. Middle school restrooms repeatedly have been tagged, she said.