Documentation & Field Guide

Gang Documentation Field Guide. Los Santos County Sheriff's Department. Revised: April 24, 1997.

Section I — Definitions and Overview

Overview

This field guide establishes Departmental standards for the documentation of gang membership, gang association, and gang-related criminal activity within Los Santos County. All personnel assigned to patrol, gang enforcement, and investigative functions are required to be familiar with and apply the criteria and documentation procedures outlined herein.

The purpose of gang documentation is to support accurate, legally defensible gang file entries, enhance intelligence sharing across units and stations, and provide the evidentiary foundation necessary for gang enhancement charges under applicable penal code provisions.

Definition of a Street Gang

For the purposes of this guide and all Departmental gang documentation, a street gang is defined as: "An ongoing, organized association or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of criminal acts, having a common name or common identifying sign or symbol, and whose members collectively engage in, or have engaged in, a pattern of criminal gang activity."

Definition of a Gang Crime

A gang crime is any criminal act in which the suspect is a documented gang member or associate, or in which the victim was targeted due to actual or perceived gang affiliation. Gang crimes must be documented with specificity — general proximity to a gang area is insufficient to establish the gang nexus of a criminal act.

Section II — Criteria for Gang Membership Documentation

Overview

To place an individual in the Departmental gang file, whether as a full member or as an associate, a minimum of two of the seven criteria listed below must be satisfied and documented. Each criterion applied must be supported by specific and articulable facts recorded on the accompanying Incident Report. Vague or conclusory language does not satisfy the documentation standard.

Important — Incident Report Requirement. Every Field Identification (FI) Card submitted for gang file entry must have a corresponding Incident Report attached. The Incident Report serves as the primary record establishing how the deputy or detective assessed and evaluated the subject against the applicable gang membership criteria. FI Cards submitted without an attached Incident Report will be returned to the submitting deputy or detective and will not be entered into the gang file until the documentation deficiency is corrected. No exceptions.

The Incident Report must articulate, in narrative form, the specific observations, circumstances, and factual basis supporting each criterion applied.

The Seven Criteria

1. Self-Admission of Gang Membership or Association. The subject freely admits to being a current gang member or associate at the time of contact. Documentation must include the specific wording of the admission, the location of the contact, the identity of all persons present during the conversation, and notation of whether the subject was under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance at the time of the admission. Associate admission applies only to subjects who freely and verbally identify themselves as associates, not full members, documented under the same standard.

2. Arrest for Gang-Consistent Offense. The subject is arrested for an offense enumerated under applicable gang statute, including but not limited to murder, attempted murder, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an inhabited dwelling, arson, witness intimidation, burglary, extortion, carjacking, firearms possession, criminal threats, and mayhem. The Incident Report must specifically articulate how the offense furthered, benefited, or assisted the gang — the nature of the offense alone is insufficient.

3. Association with Documented Gang Members. The subject is observed associating with individuals already documented in the gang file. The Incident Report must identify the documented gang members by name and file number where available, and describe the nature and circumstances of the observed association.

4. Display of Gang Symbols or Hand Signs. The subject is observed displaying gang-specific accessories, symbols, or hand signs. The Incident Report must describe the specific symbols or hand signs observed and articulate the basis for the deputy's or detective's belief that they are associated with a specific criminal street gang. Deputies shall not compel a subject to display hand signs for documentation purposes.

5. Frequenting Known Gang Locations. The subject is observed frequenting specific gang areas or locations where gang crimes are known to have recently been committed, or where current gang intimidation or tagging activity has been documented. The Incident Report must specifically articulate why the location is gang-related. Entire neighborhoods or school campuses shall not be used as gang locations without specific articulable justification. This criterion, when combined solely with gang dress as the second criterion, requires one additional criterion to satisfy the documentation standard (see exception note below).

6. Gang Dress. The subject is observed wearing clothing, colors, or accessories that can be specifically articulated as indicative of gang membership in a particular gang. The Incident Report must describe the specific clothing items, colors, and symbols observed and explain the basis for the gang association. Cannot be satisfied solely by the wearing of colors or clothing of general interest to a neighborhood or area, including local sports team merchandise. The term "dressed down" is an insufficient description and will not satisfy this criterion.

7. Gang Tattoos. The subject displays tattoos that can be specifically articulated as indicative of active gang membership. The Incident Report must document the specific number, symbol, wording, and location of the tattoo on the body, and the basis for the deputy's or detective's belief that the tattoo is associated with an active criminal street gang.

Section III — Documentation Procedures

Required Forms

Gang documentation is recorded across the following Departmental forms, all of which must reflect specific and articulable facts:

• Incident Report (IR): primary report for gang-related incidents. Must articulate the gang nexus of the incident and support any gang membership criteria applied.
• Field Identification (FI) Card: documents field contacts with gang members or associates. Must have an Incident Report attached upon submission for gang file entry.

Submission and Review

All gang documentation submitted for gang file entry is subject to supervisory review prior to entry. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that submitted documentation meets the criteria and standards outlined in this guide. Documentation that does not meet the standard, including FI Cards submitted without an attached Incident Report, will be returned to the submitting deputy or detective with written notation of the deficiency. Resubmission with corrected documentation is required before gang file entry will be authorized.

Deputies and detectives with questions regarding documentation standards should consult their assigned Gang Enforcement Team (GET) supervisor or contact the Operation Safe Streets (OSS) unit for guidance.

Section IV — Summary Checklist

Prior to submitting any gang documentation for file entry, the submitting deputy or detective should confirm the following:

• A minimum of two criteria from the seven listed have been identified and documented.
• Each criterion applied is supported by specific and articulable facts — not conclusory language.
• An Incident Report is attached to any FI Card being submitted.
• The Incident Report narrative addresses each criterion applied in sufficient detail.
• If the gang location and gang dress criteria are the sole two criteria, a third criterion has also been documented.
• Gang dress documentation describes specific clothing, colors, and symbols — not general terms such as "dressed down."
• Gang location documentation identifies a specific location — not an entire neighborhood or school campus — with articulable gang nexus.
• Any self-admission documentation includes wording of admission, location, persons present, and substance influence notation.
• Any tattoo documentation identifies specific tattoo number, symbol, wording, body location, and gang association basis.