CHAMPAIGN

University of Illinois Police worry that gangs are slipping by them by disguising some members as college students.

"A lot are adopting a college cover," said Champaign Police Sgt. John Murphy. "This gives them a legitimate link to the community. There's probably more using that cover than people realize.

The problem became clear last year when members of Chicago street gangs were found with phoney University of Illinois identification cards, operating a drug ring in an off-campus housing complex.

O.J. Clark, chief of the university police department, said some gang members are either becoming students or lying to pass themselves off as students.

1. What reasons might gang members have for "adopting a college cover?"

2. Do college students need to know street gangs in order to find drugs?

3. Should gang members who go to college be required to wear identification badges? Black and Red tags saying "Vice Lords," or Black and Gold tags saying "Latin Kings?"

4. Should campus police keep lists of students who are known to be gang members?

5. Do you think there are gang members in this course? Look at the students sitting around you. Can you pick out the gang members? Should you inform campus police of your suspicions?

6. Is it ourtrageous to think some gangs would encourage their younger members to finish school and even go to UIC?