It is also not uncommon to find graffiti at the scene of a burglary or other crime. Graffiti Specifics Street gangs use their own language to communicate with one another through graffiti. This language includes common numbers, letters, words or phrases which are easily understood on the streets. The name of the gang is usually abbreviated to two or three letters in gang graffiti. Hispanic gangs may include phrases in Spanish, which are sometimes misspelled.
Numbers also have significant meanings to gang members.
The number 187 is frequently used in gang graffiti around the United States, and represents the number of the California Penal Code for homicide. Graffiti which includes 187 is literally making a death threat. Many gang names, particularly those from Southern California, include the numbers or names of the streets on which the gang was originally founded. Some examples of these types of gangs include 18th Street and 38th Street. In addition, many Los Angeles-style gangs will use telephone area codes in their graffiti.