It's estimated there's more than 80-thousand gang members in the City of Los Angeles. That's more than the entire city population of Hoover!

Now the question is, with the recent rash of gang signs and graffiti that's popped up around the Birmingham, is the Magic City in line to see similar consequences in Birmingham's city streets?"

Detective Charles Singletary with BPD's Gang Task Force says the task force has identified close to 50 gangs in the city. "We feel it's just the tip of the iceberg. We're talking juveniles to adults."

Singletary's report before the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday was eye opening. Mayor Larry Langford asked for the information after gang signs appeared in the Druid Hills neighborhood over the weekend. "I'll just be damned if we're going to turn this town over to folks out here who have decided they're going to come in here and terrorize our neighborhoods. It's over with now."

Or maybe it's not! In fact, the graffiti problem is growing in Wylam, where gang signs have been popping up in mass over the last month.

Reverend Herman Henderson brought the problem before the City Council several weeks ago, but was disappointed when he got no reaction. He says while Druid Hills was an unfortunate situation, that it's time the City recognized what's happening in his community. "Every building just about you know that's a business, these guys have attempted to spray it and put fear in us to make us leave this community. But we're not leaving!"

But even though many businesses attempt to paint over the graffiti it's just days before the signs return. And some business owners like Bubba Phillips admit, they are scared. "Used to you didn't worry about walking anywhere. But now when it gets dark, you start thinking about it, because these gangs are popping up everywhere."

But according to Assistant Police Chief Mike Fischer, regardless of the signs, Birmingham is no L.A. "We've sent people to school and everywhere else to study what these gang graffiti is. But as far as these people actually committing any violent crimes, absolutely no report at all."

Learn how to identify gang activity here.