Gang Enforcement Unit's Goals

This will be accomplished by identifying individuals and areas involved in criminal gang activity. We recognize that all of the individuals identified may not yet be fully involved as criminal gang members, but that all criminal gang members are typically involved in a significant amount of the crimes in their area of operation. We will use all available information and resources to identify these people and take appropriate action. Through a partnership with the community, we will identify the specific areas used by criminal gang members and their associates. We will not allow criminal gang members to destroy the fabric of our community nor will we allow them to continue to exploit our children or intimidate any of our residents. We will not allow criminal gang members to claim “turf” that belongs to our community.

This will be accomplished by what we will call the “top down” approach. We will identify the leadership within these criminal gangs and will systematically remove them, beginning with the top leadership, using proven investigative and prosecutorial means. We will employ every legal avenue to identify, locate, and aggressively prosecute the leadership within criminal gangs. We believe that this disruption of the criminal gang structure will have a significant impact on the gang’s ability to remain organized and will adversely affect their ability to recruit new members. We believe that this disruption will reduce the crime and other activities associated with criminal gangs and will allow opportunities for community intervention.

This will be accomplished through the use of new and established intelligence gathering processes that will provide timely and accurate information for the purpose of taking prompt and effective actions. Our strategy will include the involvement of local, state, and federal law enforcement entities, as well as state and federal judiciaries. Additionally, we will continue to use Crime Stoppers and community meetings as a source for information and intelligence sharing.

We will often be the first point of contact for prevention and intervention candidates. As such, we will maintain an awareness of available programs and will work with those coordinators to establish programs that are appropriate and enduring. We are aware of the social implications of crime and law enforcement and while operating primarily as an enforcement unit will identify individuals and needs that are best served through prevention and intervention programs.

The City of Greensboro has begun to see criminal activity that was once obscured by its infrequency. Criminal gang activity has and continues to grow. It has involved and continues to involve many of our young people. Youth membership continues to grow because of the sullied allure of criminal gangs and the false promise of allegiance. While everyone has been affected by this trend, our minority youth have been influenced the most, too often resulting in death or imprisonment of these young people. The community wants that to change. We want that to change. As a professional, responsible law enforcement agency, we will strive to remove the fear and victimization created by this activity by arresting and prosecuting those individuals determined to continue in this criminal activity and by directing those individuals that want to change their lifestyle to resource opportunities.