‘Gang’ graffiti on Alki Beach: Punk kids or a bigger problem?

WEST SEATTLE -- On a recent afternoon, one of Seattle’s most popular summer hangouts was covered in blue spray paint.

Seawalls, rocks, and even driftwood along Alki Beach had been marked with what appeared to be the sign of the “South Side Locos,” a Hispanic gang that originated in Southern California and is known to have ties to the Mexican Mafia.

“Q13 News This Morning” spoke to Seattle Police Capt. Pierre Davis, who is in charge of the city’s Southwest Precinct, to find out if the graffiti is the work of punk kids or a serious, criminal element.

“We will see different types of graffiti and we will take either our officers or our gang unit to take a look at it and help us decipher exactly what the meaning is,” Capt. Davis said. “It’s not necessarily gang all the time, a lot of these people are wannabes. They want to put their names and themselves out there.”