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| Utah task force combating Utah's unique gang problem |
| By ksl.com - Nkoyo Iyamba |
| Published: 05/27/2011 |
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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah law enforcers say they're finding success with their new gang task force. Members say it's smarter way to keep the community safe from gangs. The Valley Police Alliance Safe Streets Task Force is designed to share resources between local, state and federal agencies. Members of the force say the gang situation in Utah is so unique it only makes sense to combine forces. "My 16 officers can go anywhere in this valley and work to solve gang crime that's impacting everybody, not just Salt Lake City specific. And in turn we bring in the agencies from other areas," said Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank. The task force formed last fall and already this year, it reports making 158 arrests, responding to nearly 225 gang-related calls and working on 350 cases. Task force members say Utah's gang situation does not mirror gangs from other parts of the country. For example, people typically associate gangs with certain cities and territories, but that's not the case here in Utah. "Through the whole valley, gang members are able to go from one area to another," said Detective Lorenzo Leulaui, with the Valley Police Alliance. "There's no limits. There's no boundaries for these gang members." That's really the point of the task force: It basically eliminates boundaries and, like Burbank said, it helps law enforcement address some of the challenges created in the Utah gang community. For example, Burbank says Utah gangs are multi-cultural and rival gangs can live in the same neighborhood, which can create added problems. Task force members say many hands make light work, and so pooling resources and getting information from one agency to another should be easier. Read More. |
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