CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The graffiti plastered along the backside of a new business complex in southwest Charlotte shows the gang the Grapevine Cripps is getting bolder.

It was just three weeks ago the gang tagged almost 20 homes in the Deerfield community.

Now police are turning to business owners like Patricia Camborda in an effort to raise awareness about the gang's emerging presence.

"We all have to be concerned about it," she said. “We have business here and we don't want nothing happening in the area.”

Neither do police. That's why Sgt. Bill Booth of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is urging homeowners and businesses to call police whenever they see any suspicious activity.

"People are often afraid to call 911 when it's not an emergency, but it's the only way that we as a police department can develop awareness," Booth said.

Camborda believes people in the area have a right to awareness, especially when it comes to gangs.

"We know once a crime happens or something happens, if they want us to be aware about it, they have to tell us what's going on," she said.

More importantly, Booth says, that awareness is a chance to get a handle on the problem before the gang's activities turn violent.

“It's like a stepping stone. They may start out with damage to property and then that may lead to breaking into cars, stealing cars, and then it may escalate from there," he said.

Police say if you find graffiti, never remove it. Call police so they can take pictures and document it.