When trying to decipher a gang code, don’t compare apples and oranges. Look at the two paragraphs in (Illustration #1) and search for symbol groups with similar symbols.
The symbol groups that I picked out are shown in (Illustration #2).
See how the symbols repeat in (Illustration #3):
Now the challenge is to find the words that match these patterns and verify the letters that seem to work. Looking at the first example in (Illustration #3) what four-letter word begins and ends with the same letter? Words such as “gang”, “bomb”, “that”, “dead” and “kick” would match this pattern. Take a few moments and add some more words that you come up with…
The solution to the challenge is shown in (Illustration #4)
Now we can use our “double-check” word (Illustration #5) which we know uses some symbols we just identified as “O”, “A” and “T” as shown in (Illustration #3). Note that the unidentified symbols repeat within this word. What word has the letters “O”, “A” and “T” with two sets of repeating letters?
The word is “LOYALTY”. We have now added the letters “L” and “Y”. By using these letters to decipher more of the document, we can add additional letters and come up with the symbol template shown in (Illustration #6).
The first paragraph is translated and transcribed in (Illustration #7).
The second paragraph is translated and transcribed in (Illustration #8).
These two paragraphs turned out to be the “Pledge” and “Oath” of the Blood gang set, “Sex, Money, Murder (SMM)”. By comparing apples with apples and oranges with oranges, we have been able to confirm symbol identification and decipher words.
