Policeman’s ‘gang slang’ helped jail drug offenders

A POLICEMAN became an expert in deciphering gang slang and hand signals by studying social media videos to help secure a landmark court injunction.

Pc Gaz Evans, of West Midlands Police, monitors social media, watching videos and viewing exchanges to collate information about gangs in Birmingham. He helped in getting an injunction against 18 men from two Birmingham gangs who were suspected of being involved in gun and drug offences, and securing jail sentences against several.

The men, aged between 19 and 29, are forbidden from associating with each other and entering areas of Handsworth, Newtown, Winson Green and Lozells for the next two years. Pc Evans, of the Force CID Prevent Team, said: “Having worked within the Multi Agency Gang Unit from 2010 I came into contact with young people associated with inner city gangs, so started to pick up what the hand signs and phrases mean.”