LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX18) — Gang activity exists in Lexington, according to police and two former gang members who now work to steer youth away from violence.
LEX18’s Kayleigh Randle recently broke down a federal indictment against eight alleged members of the West End Gang, known as the Hot Boyz, which raised the question: Are there gangs in Lexington?
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"Yes, there are gangs in Lexington, that is a fact. But it's always been a thing since we have drugs and other things that gangs make money from," said Todd Phillips, a Lexington police officer.
Two former Kentucky gang members from the mid-1980s, Pastor Donald Jackson and Reverend Damon Horton, confirmed the presence of major gangs in the city.
"There is every major gang in Lexington. Yes, yes. Every major gang. Absolutely. In Lexington," they said.
Both Jackson and Horton joined gangs as teenagers, driven by anger.
"I chose to live a dark life. Okay, I got into the drugs, got into the gangbanging," Jackson said.
"I gave up sports. You know, I started banging, similar story. Mad at the world," Horton said.
Jackson was first jumped into a gang when he was only 18 years old. He now runs his own nonprofit to help the youth: One of Us.
"That's when I got involved in an organization called 74GD Gangsters. And I was involved for a long time," Jackson said.
Horton joined a different gang at 16 years old. He also founded his own nonprofit to help youth as well: Within My Father's House.
"And I joined a crew back in the day, we were called the D Lords back in the day… I became a four-corner hustler," Horton said.
Both men climbed the ranks in their respective organizations and went to prison on drug trafficking charges. Phillips said drug trafficking and violence in specific areas often indicate gang activity.
"Drug trafficking, especially at the street level, and violence at the street level or in general, if there is a buildup of that in a certain area. Then there's probably some gang in that region," Phillips said.
Through previous LEX 18 reporting and examination of criminal documents, known gangs in Lexington include the West End Gang, East End Gang, Almighty Ambrose, Winburn Gang, the Latin Kings, and Hot Boyz. Police say the Hot Boyz are allegedly behind the 2023 murder of federal witness Kristopher Caylin Walker Lews.
When asked if more public acknowledgment of gang activity would help, Jackson and Horton disagreed.
"Nope. The city won't speak out because like I said, the city thinks there ain't no gangs here. The police they don't know. They know, but they don't know. They got their intel and all that, but they don't know," they said.
Phillips said the police department has allocated significant resources to address gang activity.
"As a city and as a police department, we have put a lot of resources into addressing that," Phillips said. "And if they're not seeing it, that's a testament to the police department and the community working to keep that stuff under control."
Gang activity has evolved since the 1980s, when gangs would gather on street corners and mark territory with graffiti.
"When it was a problem that was contained within the area driven by graffiti. Now the communication over social media has created more relationships," Phillips said.
Jackson said many gangs now form online through social media and music.
"It's a lot of internet stuff. It's a lot of sitting there in their bedroom playing their video games. Someone said something, they're putting this together now, they've made a little clique. A little gang. They don't know what they're getting themselves into because this stuffs real. It's not a game," Jackson said.
Phillips advised parents to monitor their children's activities and associations.
"Pay attention to who your kids are hanging out with. Pay attention to where they're going and what they're doing," Phillips said.
Since finding their faith and meeting each other in a halfway house, Jackson and Horton use their experiences to help keep kids away from gang violence.
"You can't be afraid to let them know, you're out here doing wrong. Is this what you want? Oh, shoot, it is, well lets get all the way in or all the way out," Horton said.
Jackson emphasized the importance of community unity in addressing the issue.
"I believe if we come together like that and stay consistent. We will change, we will make it a different place. But it's gonna take everybody coming together. It ain't about where you live at, it ain't about the color of your skin. It's about saving these kids' lives, man," Jackson said.
Phillips stressed the ongoing nature of law enforcement's responsibility.
"We have to always stay on top of it. We can never allow enterprises to grow and bring our children into what they're doing and to get involved in the violence. We have to always drive crime back underground and then, you know, let the law enforcement manage it from there. We can never allow enterprise crime to have a bigger voice than the citizens at large," Phillips said.
