The graffiti that has been surfacing around Barnwell County with reoccurring symbols, letters and numbers has been an ongoing problem.

The illegal and public markings have also been associated with gangs, according to Brenda O'Berry, the anti-gang investigator with the Barnwell County Sheriff's Office.

There is -- on one hand -- the impulse to dismiss the graffiti as nothing more than the naughty but otherwise harmless pranks of youth who have too much time and spray paint cans in their hands for their own good.

After all, the most visible signs of "gang activity" to the causal county observer would be these gang signs spray-painted on traffic signs and buildings, not robberies or drug deals.

It's a big jump from the victimless crime of defacing property to armed robbery or other felonies.

Are some county law enforcement agencies taking some instances of graffiti and blowing them out of proportion when there are far more serious offenses being committed and new victims created?

No, not really.

A U.S. Department of Justice study has shown, gang-related graffiti is much different than "street art" graffiti and has a different purpose.

Gang graffiti is meant to communicate to fellow gang members, mark territory or project threats to rival gangs. Its purpose is not artistic merit.

Conversely, street art rarely communicates a threat but usually boasts about the individual who created the graffiti. Gang-related graffiti on the other hand makes explicit boasts about the gang.

Wise police agencies have learned to not only watch for gang graffiti, but decipher it and gain intelligence about probable criminal activity in their area.

It's better to be over-vigilant about possible gangs or the "wannabe" gangs now and address the problem before these groups turn into what people stereotypically think of as a gang -- the drive-by shootings, the violent crimes and rival gang battles.

We don't want the situation to deteriorate to that point in the county. We see the writing on the wall.