Gangs Settling In Rural Communities Across Triangle

"It's just random, malicious damage to others' property and or life in general," said Lt. Walter Martin, of the Wake County Sheriff's Office.

"Gang activity was involved in some of the armed robberies in Fuquay," said Paul Inscore, of Fuquay-Varina Citizens Against Drugs. "Some of the drive-by shootings have listed as gang-related and one of the big problems we're having is the tagging graffiti that's in Fuquay."

A Wake County mobile home park owner, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said gangs have taken hold in the area.

"I see more of it in more locations than ever before," he said. "It's very frustrating, very frustrating."

The Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership is trying to get a regional perspective on the problem. They are looking at ways to keep gangs from forming.

"It's all kinds of crime I'm seeing. People just walk in and take what they want," the property owner said.

"When I started and you found a car with four or five folks in it, they were going out to roll somebody's house with toilet paper," Martin said. "Nowadays, you stop a car with four or five in it, they're getting ready to do a drive-by shooting."

One thing municipalities are doing is getting rid of gang grafitti as fast as they can to send a message that it will not be tolerated. Fuquay-Varina just spent two weeks doing an intensive cleanup. Grafitti reported at a Raleigh park Tuesday night was removed on Wednesday.