1. Santa Cruz SureÑo Graffiti
The following local photographs represent Santa Cruz criminal street gangs: Brown Pride Santa Cruz (BPSC), Beach Flats Surenos (BFS), Santa East Side (SES), Villa San Carlos (VSC), Mara Salvatrucha (MS)

2. Why Gang Graffiti is Dangerous
The purpose of gang graffiti is to
glorify the gang.
Gang graffiti is meant to create a
sense of intimidation
and may increase the
sense of fear
within a neighborhood.
Gang members use graffiti
to mark their territory or turf, declare their allegiance
to the gang, and to challenge rivals.

3. Brown Pride Santa Cruz
Brown Pride is a Sureño criminal street that is known as Brown Pride Santa Cruz or BPSC. “Surcali” stands for Southern California which is the strong-hold of Sureño criminal street gangs in the state of California.

4. Brown Pride Santa Cruz
“NK” stands for “Norteño killer” and the two lines crossing out the “N” is a sign of disrespect towards Norteños. “BPSC” stands for Brown Pride Santa Cruz and the “X3” stands for the number 13.

5. Brown Pride Santa Cruz
This drawing depicts a heart with “SC” in it and a banner with Brown Pride which symbolizes Brown Pride- a Sureño gang. SETS OF THREE Note what appears to be three tear drops on the bottom portion of the cross and what appears to be three candles at the bottom of the drawing. Sets of three items are commonly used by the Sureño gang.

6. Beach Flats Sureños
The blue notebook with “BFS SUR” stands for Beach Flats Sureños and Southern United Raza. “Raza” is the Spanish word for race. “Beach Flats” is written on the sombrero (hat) that the woman is wearing.

7. Santa East Side (SES)
Depicted in the drawing is a man behind bars in the Santa Cruz county jail as written at the top of the drawing. The individual has a “1” and “3” on his shoulders (13) and “NK” (Norteño killer) on his right arm. He also has 3 dots on his left wrist. Written on his chest is SES (Santa East Side) and “Sureño” is on the bottom portion of his upper torso. A tear drop is drawn beneath his left eye.

8. Santa East Side (SES)
“SC SES” stands for Santa Cruz Santa East Side – a local Sureño criminal street gang. The number 13 is their numerical symbol (bottom left photograph).
Santa East Side and SUR along with the 3 dots were written on the box that appeared to have been made in a woodshop class. “ES” on the white shoes stands for Santa East Side.

9. Villa San Carlos (VSC)
“Villa San Carlos” is a Sureño criminal street gang that claims an apartment complex on Soquel Avenue as their territory. Note the “N” in the word “San” is written backwards and crossed out which is meant to be a sign of disrespect towards Norteños.

10. Typical Sureño Symbols
13 is the numerical symbol for the Mexican Mafia which derives from the 13th letter of the alphabet being the letter M. The Mexican Mafia is the prison gang that controls the vast majority of the Sureño criminal street gangs. The 3 dots is also a symbol for the Sureño criminal street gang and can also mean “mi vida loca” or “my crazy life.” Sureños is the Spanish word for southerner.

11. Typical Sureño Symbols
“Buster” is a derogatory term used towards Norteño criminal street gang members/associates. The graffiti here says “Buster Free” meant as both a threat to Norteños and as a claim to the area. 831 is the area code for Santa Cruz.
“NK” stands for Norteño killer. It is a saying commonly used by Sureños.

12. The drawing depicting a broken, falling star in conjunction with the words “Stay Falling” is a sign of disrespect towards Norteños. The northern star is a symbol of the norteño criminal street gang.
3 dots over two lines parallel to one another in a horizontal fashion represent the number 13 in the Mayan numerical system. Each dot is equal to one and each line is equal to five.

13. “Sureño is an address used by an active participant of the Sureño criminal street gang. Sureño is the Spanish word for southerner, 13 being the numerical symbol for Sureños and “NK” meaning “Norteño killer.”
“Norteño killer” with the “n” backwards and crossed out is a sign of disrespect towards the Norteño criminal street gang.

14. “I hate red it is so bad it is not cool” was written by an active participant in the Sureño criminal street gang. It should be noted that Sureños use the color blue and Norteños use the color red.

15. What should you do if you see this kind of graffiti in your child/student’s belongings?
Talk to your child/student. Ask open-ended questions, listen with an open-mind. Encourage an honest discussion.
Ask questions to understand their level of involvement.
Understand who is influencing them (friend, neighbor, relative) and set limits accordingly.
Discuss the consequences and dangers of being in a gang .
Set clear expectations.
Parents: talk to a teacher, school counselor or administrator at your child’s school and ask them if they have noticed any changes. Make sure they are aware of your concerns. Teachers: talk to the school counselor, administrator and to the student’s parents.
Get your child/student involved in extra-curricular activities like sports, clubs, music, volunteer work, etc. Make sure to have positive, fun family time.

16. What should you do if you see this kind Of graffiti in your neighborhood?
Within the City of Santa Cruz:
Call the Graffiti Hotline at
24-hours a day, 7 days a week
Report graffiti tagging on public or private property within City limits
Call 911  If you see someone “tagging” or suspect vandalism is going to take place, do not hesitate to call 911.
Adopt-A-Spot  Do you keep seeing the same pole on your street getting tagged? Get a free graffiti removal kit as a volunteer for your home or work place. You can make a direct difference in your community with the convenience of a no-hassle volunteer program. Call the hotline at for more details about getting the free graffiti removal kit.

17. For more information: www.basta.santacruz.k12.ca.us