MOULTRIE, Ga. — Recent arrest reports at Colquitt County Jail have noted the names Ghost Face and Gangster Disciples as associates for some of the inmates.

The latter name likely would be more familiar to the general public, as it has a history dating back to the 1960s and these days has a number of rap music artists who claim affiliation.

The Ghost Face Gangsters criminal organization has its origins the early 2000s in the Georgia prison system and has a white membership.

In addition to those two criminal gangs, law enforcement believes there are some 11 others who are active in Moultrie and Colquitt County.

That includes those made up of a single race — white, black and Latino, said Sgt. Choice Barnes who is working as a gang intelligence officer with the Moultrie Police Department.

“There are hybrid gangs (also),” Barnes said. “Some groups are multiracial.”

The definition of a gang generally used by law enforcement comes from the National Alliance of Gang Investigators’ Associations (NAGIA): A group of three or more persons with a common identifying sign, symbol, or name who individually or collectively engage in criminal activity that creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

According to a 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment compiled by the FBI their numbers were estimated at 900,000 members operating in communities across the country and 147,000 documented gang members incarcerated in prisons and jails.

Those numbers include those designated as members of street gangs, prison gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Whatever the makeup of the group, their focus involves criminal activities, including distribution of narcotics and violence, Barnes said.

In addition to those out on the streets here, corrections officers know that there are gang members at Colquitt County Correctional Institution, which houses inmates for the state of Georgia.

Barnes, who worked for years in anti-gang work in Lowndes County, is looking to identify local members and educate officials such as school personnel and law enforcement agencies.

While the Hollywood image of street gangs often evokes images of big cities like Chicago and New York and especially Los Angeles, the reality is they are just as much a rural phenomenon these days.

The FBI assessment noted that gang members from larger cities frequently relocate in rural communities to lay low from law enforcement, recruit new members, or pursue money-making opportunities.

One of Barnes’ goals is to teach Colquitt County Jail personnel to recognize gang members by characteristics such as tattoos.

That, he said, will help in identifying gang members and in compiling a database. It also will help prevent housing members of rival gangs together as well as putting members of the same gang together where they can cooperate to commit criminal acts in the facility.

For law enforcement, recognizing members is more difficult these days for several reasons.

Gone are the days when gang members wore colored bandannas to identify themselves, Barnes said. These days many try to hide their affiliation by putting tattoos on more discreet parts of the body or camouflaging a gang-related mark by making it a small element of a larger tattoo.

That’s because they don’t want the scrutiny they’re likely to draw from law enforcement if recognized.

That’s also a reason many gangs have eschewed the open warfare that was a part of the lifestyle in the 1990s, Barnes said. It brings attention that they don’t want.

“Everybody’s looking at bandannas,” Barnes said. “They do other things now. A lot of times when you’re going to make an arrest, you may see gang literature (in the residence).”

Graffiti is one element that is still used, and it marks territory. A recent Moultrie police report involved a gang’s initials in Northwest Moultrie.

When graffiti is present, Barnes said, it’s a territorial marker meant as a message to other gangs.

“It’s like when you come into Moultrie, the first thing you see is the city limits sign,” he said.

In addition to the heat that violent rivalry brings down, gangs have learned that cooperating with each other is profitable in common business interests such as drug distribution.

Just as war is expensive for a nation, so it is for gangs, Barnes said.

In a local example of this cooperation, police say that two Colquitt County gangs were involved in a methamphetamine ring that was taken down with a July 2018 federal indictment of more than 20 suspects.

The groups also are forging a significant presence online, both for public relations and in furthering business activity.

That means they’re not going to be involved in street corner drug sales, Barnes said, so their going incognito on the internet presents a challenge for law enforcement.

Identifying gang members is valuable for law enforcement because prosecutors can put them in prison longer in cases where their activity is part of the crime by charging them under the Georgia gang statute.

There are several reasons young people may gravitate to a gang, Barnes said.

“It’s popular,” he said. “They want to get that reputation and status, a sense of belonging to something. It’s a way to make money, get drugs. Friendship. I hear a lot of them say the gang shows me love.”

Kids who do become involved in gang activity usually start down that route in middle school.

“One of the reasons (they join): family tradition, siblings or parents may be involved in it,” he said. “‘I’ve been born in it,’ some of them say. If it’s in your neighborhood, it’s in your schools.”

Another way people are drawn into a gang is through the corrections system — being in a group is a means of protection.

“If a person goes to prison, they’re going to identify with somebody,” Barnes said. Often leaving prison means leaving the gang behind, but some remain affiliated.

Parents can play a key role in preventing their children from getting involved.

“Parents may be seeing something, change in attitude, sudden drop in grades, absenteeism from school, disrespect for the family,” Barnes said. “If parents start to see this, this certainly may be an indication a child is involved with a gang.”

If parents suspect that’s the case, Barnes recommended they investigate, even look through the child’s belongings and cell phone if necessary.

Another benefit of identifying gang members is to give the community the opportunity to intervene and give them a more positive direction.

“Our goal is to identify known gang associates to try early interdiction,” Moultrie Police Chief Sean Ladson said. “If it’s young people, we can intervene in their lives and correct that behavior and stop that association they have with the gang.

“The data will be something the sheriff’s office and police department can utilize.”

Another reason police are looking to gather information on gang participation is to provide intervention to younger members and those who are leaning toward the lifestyle.

Moultrie police are looking to spread education about gangs as wide as possible, be that to civic groups, church and church youth groups, Neighborhood Watch groups or others who are interested. To request a presentation, contact Barnes or Lt. Steve Exum at (229) 985-3131.