Public Enemy Number 1 (PENI)
This document is an archived copy of an older ADL report and may not reflect the most current facts or developments related to its subject matter.
I. Background
Public Enemy Number 1 (PENI) is a state-wide street gang and prison gang. Formed in 1986 as a group of punk enthusiasts local to Vespucci Beach, the now gang has spread across the state of San Andreas and surrounding states. PENI's strength comes from the ability to operate on the streets, and in prison yards, where the gang operates as foot soldiers for established white supremacist prison gangs, including the Aryan Brotherhood.
Since the early 2000's, PENI members have grown heavily involved in the drug trade, and have formed a strong history of violence in its wake. Violent crimes, including assault, attempted murder and murder, between both the streets and prison have created the foundation for PENI's reputation. This, coupled with firm white supremacist ideology and a subculture of violence, make it a threat to both the public, and law enforcement. PENI are also one of the few gangs to routinely engage in identity theft, counterfeiting and identity theft, causing those who are far removed from the world of crime to become victim of the gang's white collar crime.
II. Involvement in the Prison System
After a 10-month long investigation into PENI in 2006, 75 search and arrest warrants were executed, which resulted in the arrest of 67 alleged members and associates of the gang known as Public Enemy Number 1 (PENI). The raids were the outcome of an alleged PENI "hit list" that contained the names of a Los Santos prosecutor and numerous police officers. Suspects arrested faced various charges, which included conspiracy to commit murder, possession of illegal weapons and narcotics, forgery, probation violations and identity theft.
Across San Andreas, authorities still struggle to deal with gang-related problems caused by PENI. The group has raised its profile in the San Andreas prison system, where already incarcerated members attempt to gain more recruits and influence. Tied to gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood (AB), PENI work as foot soldiers as an outcome of being classed as a street gang, opposed to a prison gang through technicalities set by the San Andreas Department of Correction guidelines.
Technicalities in the San Andreas Department of Corrections guidelines state that a prison gang is a "group that developed in prison and exists for the most part only behind bars, although it may in fact have counterparts on the outside". Being classified as a prison gang member allows for the the inmate to be assigned to a Secure Housing Unit (SHU) sentence, where the inmate is segregated from the general inmate population. An outcome of this occurred in 1999, when San Andreas prison authorities identified the Nazi Lowrider (NLR) members, foot soldiers of the Aryan Brotherhood, as a prison gang. The NLR members were given automatic SHU sentences and segregated from the regular prison population, therefore leading the NLR to suffer many of the limitations that the AB did.
Through this period, NLR numbers grew thin through members dropping out of the gang and some joining PENI. Due to PENI being unclassified as a prison gang, they were allowed free movement throughout the yards where PENI members were in the general populous. With free movement through the general population, or "mainline", PENI therefore had the ability to conduct criminal operations and were subsequently inducted into the Aryan Brotherhood's activities both in and out of prison.
III. PENI Expansion
Public Enemy Number 1 has seen incremental growth since the early 2000s. San Andreas law enforcement estimated that anywhere between 300-400 are active across California and bordering states. Conversely, membership including associates is estimated anywhere between 600-800 PENI members, nearly double of what has been documented by officials.
Through growing reputation in the prison system, white inmates on the mainline have began seeking protection from ethnic and criminal gangs in prison. Members of white supremacist street gangs often join PENI whilst incarcerated, and then resume an association with their own gang after their release. As a result of shared ideology, PENI members often blend with other white racist gangs. Due to this dual membership, law enforcement struggle to assess PENI's size or attributing crimes to its members.
IV. Gang Identification
Members of PENI will often have tattoos which represent that they are initiated members of Public Enemy Number 1. Additionally, tattoos may represent an action that the members have committed whilst incarcerated, often associated with violent activities, including assault, attempted murder, or murder. The below are a number of documented tattoos which have been used to identify members of PENI.
