DELTONA - Signs of gang activity are cropping up all over Deltona, stirring fears that this Volusia bedroom community could become Central Florida's next hotbed for street gangs.

Graffiti on park benches, teenagers sporting teardrop tattoos and an initiation beating at a local high school have alarmed city officials, who plan to meet today with members of the Sheriff's Office and Volusia County School Board to discuss the issue.

"We need to get a handle on it now, or we're going to have a problem," said Lt. Chico Mandizha, assistant commander for the Deltona post of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Today's meeting will focus on ways to suppress gang activity in schools, where city officials say some students wear gang colors and openly declare allegiances to the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings and other national gangs.

It's unclear why Deltona is seeing more-visible gang activity. Orange County police agencies credit their aggressive tactics with driving gang members into outlying areas, where they recruit local kids.

Others say Deltona's lack of recreational offerings for youths is likely a contributing factor. The city has no malls, movie theaters and few restaurants or coffeehouses.

"If there are few attractive alternatives for kids, they're going to go looking for something to do. Gangs offer a whole list of things for kids to do, from friendships and associations to place to go," said Richard Dembo, a University of South Florida criminology professor.

Police say the number of gang members in Deltona is still far below that of Orlando, where police have identified 2,500 members of 35 different street gangs.

But Deltona has had a few high-profile gang incidents in recent months.

Last summer, a 30-year-old public-bus driver, Jorge "King Buffy" Villacis was charged with having a role in the Latin Kings gang. Prosecutors say the Deltona resident was among the organization's top five leaders in Florida.

In December, three Pine Ridge High School students were charged with beating a 16-year-old freshman as part of an initiation into the notorious Crips street gang.

"I don't want to scare people, but I know there is a valid concern about gangs here," said Zenaida Denizac, a Deltona city commissioner and high-school teacher. "The worst thing we can do is ignore the problem."

So far, Deltona's gangs have been associated with mostly misdemeanor crimes: drugs, some burglaries and graffiti.

But police warn that unless gangs are contained now, those crimes could become far more violent.

Said Mandizha, "We're going to recognize the problem, we're going to make it public and we're going to get rid of it."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-gangs2107jun21,0,7420443.story