Gang-style graffiti mars Libby buildings

A spate of gang-style graffiti vandalism has drawn the attention of the Libby Police Department.

Starting last Friday and continuing over the weekend, law enforcement officials received a number of reports of the spray-painted graffiti in locations including Pioneer Park, Asa Wood Elementary, St. John Lutheran Church and Center Drug.

Libby High School assistant principal Jim Germany's car, parked at his home, was also sprayed, but it's not yet clear if that incident is related to the other acts of vandalism, said LPD Chief Clay Coker.

Much of the graffiti sprayed at locations around town is in blue and bears a stylized "SSC" logo, believed to stand for "South Side Crips," Coker said. The Crips are a Los Angles-based gang that uses blue as its signature color.

In at least one location, additional graffiti — in red, the color associated with the Bloods, a Los Angeles gang at war with the Crips — was found alongside the blue graffiti in an apparent instance of "counter-tagging" as done by opposing gangs.

"I don't think this is any real connection with the actual gangs," Coker said.

Instead, the work was more likely carried out by kids imitating what they've seen on TV or in movies, Coker said.

"But we sure don't need any graffiti all over town," he added.

Community service crews from Youth Court Services were dispatched to clean up the graffiti, Coker said. He said he suspects school-age kids to be responsible for the graffiti, and he's working with the school system to investigate the incidents. He said he is also putting the word out to hardware stores and other places that sell spray paint.

"We're going to find out who's involved with it and take measures to stop any more of it," he said.