GRAND JURY ASKS COUNTY TO REVIEW GANG ENFORCEMENT PLAN

The Grand Jury says the County Sheriff’s and Probation departments should revisit their plan on gangs to see if it addressed the growing epidemic of gang activity. The report says in 2005, gang warfare raged in the county after a migration of gang members in search of affordable housing. In response, authorities recommended the formation of a centralized database for tracking gang crimes and establishing research-based programs for at-risk youths and forming partnerships to develop a better network of intelligence pertaining to gang members. Since then, the county’s gang population has doubled, from 362 documented gangs in 2005 to 722 in 2012. The Grand Jury attributes the county’s extensive gang problems to its vast geographic area, low-cost housing, and socioeconomic conditions. The probation Department said the degree of gang problems varies from city to city. Prison realignment, moving state prisoners to county supervision, is the focus of law enforcement, at least for probation and sheriff’s departments that oversee local jails. The Grand Jury gave a nod to the District Attorney’s Office, which it said has been successful in prosecuting gang members and using enhanced sentencing schemes to ensure more time behind bars for the most violent and threatening offenders.