April 27, 2015 at 4:23 p.m.
Graffiti prompts gang concerns in Minocqua
Police investigating, but seriousness unclear
Graffiti prompts gang concerns in Minocqua
Within the last month, graffiti was found on a door of the bathrooms at the Bearskin State Trail trailhead and on two street signs along Dam Road.
In all three cases, the graffiti consisted of the letters "NWK," according to Minocqua Police Chief Dave Jaeger.
"We do not know who is responsible for the graffiti but have suspicion that there is a possible group of individuals attempting to start a local gang called the 'North Woods Killers,'" Jaeger said.
However, that is just a suspicion and there is no hard evidence of gang activity in Minocqua, Jaeger cautioned. He said the information about the potential gang derived from rumors circulating at Lakeland Union High School.
Chad Gauerke, LUHS dean of students, said the school is aware of the graffiti and is working with local law enforcement, including police in Minocqua and Lac du Flambeau, which has resources specifically targeting gangs.
"We think we know who to look for, but we're not 100 percent sure," Gauerke said. "We're pretty vigilant in keeping an eye out for things."
According to Gauerke, students opposed to the graffiti told school officials about it. He said LdF's gang coordinator had heard similar information.
Still, Gauerke said he has not observed any taggings at LUHS - markings containing a gang's name or indicating affiliation - and said student behaviors have not changed out of the ordinary compared to previous months. He also said he is not aware of any other signs of gang activity at LUHS.
"I haven't seen anything," he said.
For Gauerke, who has worked in Milwaukee's inner city and the Lincoln Hills juvenile detention center in Irma, every threat can be considered credible. But he said the graffiti in Minocqua might be different.
"I don't know if it's a real gang or just a bunch of kids making stuff up," Gauerke said. "Until law enforcement gets involved, we won't know anything as well."
What police do know is that all three cases occurred within a relatively short period of time - between late March and early April - which suggests the same person or group is responsible, according to Jaeger.
If caught, the perpetrator could receive an ordinance citation for criminal damage to property. But Jaeger said if more graffiti is discovered and it becomes a nuisance, criminal charges might be referred to the district attorney's office and hefty fines could be imposed.
"Graffiti in the Minocqua area is not prevalent and goes through stages," Jaeger said. "When reported, it is best to get the graffiti removed as soon as possible to avoid copycat or reoccurrences of the graffiti."
Anyone with information about the graffiti is encouraged to contact police at (715) 356-3234. To remain anonymous, call the We Tip hotline at (800) 78-CRIME. Rewards of up to $1,000 are available for information leading to a conviction.
Jonathan Anderson may be reached at [email protected].
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