Gang Update 2004 Fairfax County, Virginia

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Gang Update 2004Fairfax County, Virginia
Lt. Colonel Charles K. Peters Deputy Chief of
Police
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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Overview of Fairfax County
• Changes in Population Diversity
• Current Status of Gang Activity Brief History
• Core Police Programs
• AntiGang Framework County, Region, State
• Key Elements for Success

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Fairfax County 15 year comparison
• 400 square miles
• 1989 Population 810,000
• 2004 Population 1,040,000

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Changing Diversity
• 1989 82 White
• 7 Black
• 7 Asian
• 4 Hispanic
• 2004 62 White
• 8 Black
• 15 Asian
• 13 Hispanic

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Recognized Increases in Criminal Gang Activity in
  the Mid-1990s
• Neighborhood, Street / Turf Oriented Gangs
• Asian, Hispanic, Others - 17 to 24 years old

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• By 1997
• Formed a Centralized Gang Unit (7 officers)
• Initiated a School Resource Officer Program (10)
• Established an MOU with Neighboring Jurisdictions
  (Share Info Intel)
• Set up a Regional Gang Intelligence Database
• Established a Reporting Event for all
• GANG ACTIVITY

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• 1998 to Current
• Increases in Gang Graffiti Destruction Cases
• Increases in Numbers of Gangs Members
• Increases in Assaults, Stabbings, Weapons,
  Threats
• Younger Gang Involved Youth (13 - 21)
• Hispanic Gangs More Prevalent
• More Organization in Both Gangs and Gang Crime

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Currently 80 Gangs 1500 Gang Involved
• Number of Police Cases Doubled in 3 Yrs
• MS13 and 22 Cliques have Grown to 800
• Stabbings, Shootings, Assaults, Drugs
• Influence (Leadership?) from other States
• Still Turf-oriented Disrespect Retaliation
• Recruiting in High Middle Schools, Libraries,
  Community

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• 3 Core Police Anti-Gang Programs
• Police Gang Unit
• School Resource Officer Program
• Regional Police Gang Task Force
• Each Program has Prevention, Education,
  Intervention, Suppression Elements

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Police Gang Unit
• Centralized Information Intelligence Gathering
• Maintain Regional Database of Gang Involved Youth
  and Gang Related Cases
• Hub of Gang Information Conduit for Flow of
  Info
• Street Deployable Team for Nightly Gang
  Interventions Special Target Operations for
  School Flights, Known Retaliations, Threats, etc
• Follow-up Investigations and/or Support for
  Investigations
• Training Resource for Police, Schools, Community,
  Govmt Agencies

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• School Resource Officer Program
• 50 Full Time SROs All Middle High Schools
• Focus on Prevention, Education, Information
  Sharing (both ways to/from Police Schools)
• Gang Awareness Training for Schools, Parents, etc
  
• GREAT Program Taught in All Middle Schools
• Class Action Program Taught in High School
• School Liaison Commander Assigned to Schools

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Northern Virginia Gang Task Force (Police)
• All (10) Local Northern Virginia Jurisdictions
• Fairfax County Supervisor Support
• Full Time Federal Partners ATF, FBI, ICE
• Full Federal Grant Funding
• Works as a Team in Each Participating
  Jurisdiction (Regional Gang Unit)

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Critical Linkages
• County Gang Prevention Coordinating Counsel (All
  Community Stakeholders)
• School Framework (In School After School
  Programs)
• Regional (COG NoVa), State, and Federal
• Active Communication, Participation Engagement

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Fairfax County Gang Update 2004

• Key Elements for Success Transferable
  Scalable
• Gang Problem Acceptance, Awareness, Training
• Capture Data, Reports, Intel Share Info
• Communicate Internally Externally
• Police Have an Important Role (along with others)
  
• Ensure Police are Involved in Community
  Government Framework for Gang Education,
  Prevention Intervention

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Contact Information

• Deputy Chief Charles K. Peters
• Fairfax County Police Department
• Phone [phone]
• Email charles.peters_at_fairfaxcounty.gov

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Gang Update 2004Fairfax County, Virginia
Lt. Colonel Charles K. Peters Deputy Chief of
Police