The following local photographs represent

Norteño criminal street gangs in Santa Cruz:

North Side Santa Cruz and

West Side Santa Cruz/West Side Chicos

SANTA CRUZ

NORTEÑO

CLOTHING TRENDS

•

DISCLAIMER: The items shown here are popular among youth. Many non-gang members also

wear these particular clothes and accessories. Simply wearing these clothes does

not necessarily indicate gang involvement. However, the clothing represented

here is also worn by local gang members (and those imitating gang members).

These images are shown here in the spirit of prevention and intervention. They

are meant to be a tool for parents and educators. Again, simply wearing these

items does not mean a youth is gang-involved. As parents and educators we

should look for other causes for concern.

Other Causes for Concern:

Wearing a lot of the items shown here.

Refusing to wear blue.

Wearing items shown here, as well as graffiti or tagging on

notebooks, using hand-signs, changes in behavior or other

signs of potential involvement (see Signs of Potential Involvement)

Please also note that clothing trends are constantly changing. We will update this

website as often as possible to reflect those changes.

The baseball caps with a “W” are commonly used by those

affiliated or associated with the West Side Santa Cruz or

West Side Chicos Norteño criminal street gang.

The “W” baseball hat is also by Norteños in Watsonville.

Depicted below are two very specific baseball style caps utilized by the

Norteño criminal street gang West Side Santa Cruz or West Side

Chicos. Criminal street gangs will commonly adopt popular logos or

brands as their sign, symbol or as something that identifies them. The

WS logo is one that has been adopted and utilized quite frequently by

the West Side Norteño criminal street gang.

The shirt depicted below

is popular in Santa Cruz

and used by the general

public however it is also

used by the Norteño

criminal street gang that

represents West Side

Santa Cruz.

The photograph depicted above is of a

person displaying a custom made white

t-shirt with West Side in red lettering.

The person is also wearing a black

baseball cap with SF that stands for

“Scrap Free” which is a derogatory

term used against Sureños. The person

is also displaying a one finger with his

right hand and four fingers with his left

hand to show the number 14.

The red baseball cap

with SF in white letters

stands for “Scrap Free.”

As you may have noted

the San Francisco

Giants’ color is not red

– this hat was custom-

made.

The black and red baseball

cap is a more subtle way of

identifying one self with

the Norteño criminal street

gang.

The images below represent common signs and symbols adopted by Norteños:

the northern star, Cal in red, and the bear from the Californian flag. “Upstate”

and “Nor Cal” are also signs and symbols utilized to identify one’s self as a

Norteño gang member and denote that one is from the northern regions of

California.

The oversized shirts, baggy pants, and red accents are

typical identifiers for Santa Cruz Norteños.

The San Francisco 49ers

jersey is commonly

used to show one’s

allegiance, affiliation or

association to the

Norteño criminal street

gang, especially one

that has the number 4 or

14 on it.

The color red is

often used in

subtle ways in

clothing and

accessories to

express gang

affiliation.

The red flannel shirt

is also often used by

Norteños.

“Nor Cal” and the northern star are common symbols used by Norteños

and are depicted here on different color t-shirts, in different color text

and on hats.

The photographs below were taken of the same t-shirt that depicts a crown over 831

CEN CAL (stands for Central California) and the northern star in black and white. The

northern star is a symbol utilized by the Norteño criminal street gangs.

Listed over the northern star are the names of cities that have Norteño criminal

street gang influence. The Salad Bowl is Salinas, Fog Town is Marina, and the

Artichoke is Castroville.

Shoes and shoelaces are often worn in red to

identify oneself as Norteño.

For more information:

www.basta.santacruz.k12.ca.us

Email: basta@santacruz.k12.ca.us