Gang activity is an ongoing issue and continues to bring violence, fear, and vandalization to the Wenatchee Valley, but officials with the Wenatchee Police Department said that gang violence in Wenatchee is in decline. There are six predominant gangs; some rival each other and some align with and help each other, according to the police department. Two officers from the department presented to Wenatchee High School faculty last week.

“We see members and groups daily, however, we only see four or five cases of violent acts a year. Our gang issue in Wenatchee is going down,” Wenatchee Police Officer Kevin Battis said.

The Wenatchee Police Department has taken action by assigning extra patrol and neighborhood focus to watch for gang related activity.

More than 100 charges were filed last year for people involved with tagging and graffiti, Johnson said. Gang issues are not to be taken lightly or as a joke, and all known problems should be reported to the police, said Officer Battis.

Most gangs in Wenatchee are associated with the number “13,” but some are associated with the number “14” for “N,” the 14th letter of the alphabet, said officer Battis. The “N” stands for Nortenos because the gang originated out of Northern California. The Nortenos based out of Northern California conspire for criminal purposes and are normally known for wearing red accessories.

The South Side Locos, a very predominant gang in the Wenatchee Valley, tends to wear black and silver and Oakland Raiders gear.

Columbus Street Trece is a gang that started in California, and one member is currently in federal prison, while another is in county jail, according to Battis.

Barrio Los Padrinos is a gang based out of Spokane, mostly known for rapping instead of violence.

The Brick City Boys is a violent gang that associates with the South Side Locos, and many of the Brick City Boys members will be released from prison soon.

Barrio Sureno Trece is a small gang but is also known to be prevalent in the Wenatchee area.

The Colonia Chiques is a violent gang that align with the Brick City Boys, who are known for wearing Dallas Cowboys gear also and are represented by a five-point star symbol.

According to Battis, most of these gang members are typically 18 years old, all from different backgrounds, and focus on narcotic distribution in the Wenatchee area. Gangs make up for less than one percent of the population, and although it is thought that all members are in the gang for life, many gangs allow members to leave.

“Many people in the high school are associated with gangs through family,” Wenatchee Police Sergeant Rick Johnson said.

The officers informed staff that to help out with gang related activity in school, many steps can be taken, such as not ignoring threats or allowing any gang-related clothing to be worn at school, and banning graffiti on any school property or student supplies (i.e illustrations or writing on notebooks).