Authorities are urging anyone who witnesses similar activity to report it
Graffiti referencing a local street gang was discovered on Santa Monica College’s main campus, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
According to Santa Monica College Police Captain Kevin Kilgore, the graffiti, which included the markings “SMx3” and “SM,” was reported on Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. It was found in the stairwell of Parking Structure 4 and is believed to be affiliated with Santa Monica 13, a longstanding street gang in the city.
“We don’t feel it’s cause for concern because this group is not encroaching on rival territory,” Kilgore said. “But tagging is something that different groups utilize just to make their name more prominent. We ask people to be cognizant of things occurring around them.”
Kilgore said the letters “SM” were sprayed once at the area while one of “SMx3” was sprayed twice. Authorities are urging anyone who witnesses similar activity to report it to campus police.
Santa Monica 13, also known as SMG or SM13, is a Mexican-American Sureño gang that has been active in the area since the late 1920s. The group is historically linked to drug trafficking, robbery, and other violent crimes. Their graffiti typically includes symbols such as “SMG,” “SM13,” and “SMx3.”
While gang-related graffiti is a known issue in parts of Santa Monica, officials have not reported any immediate threats to the college community.
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