By Karen Cohilas - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – The battle against Albany gangs continues and tonight police say they're making headway. The Chief says gangs are deeply embedded in Albany.
The police Gang Unit was busy last year. They arrested 500 people, nearly 100 more than in 2009. Most of those arrests took place in Ward three, which is Central Albany.
Of the people arrested, 151 of them were charged with some form of gang participation, but others were charged with aggravated assault, obstruction of an officer and even murder.
Chief John Proctor says gang unit members are building and sharing intelligence about gang members. And when they turn cases over to be prosecuted, they make sure a conviction is likely.
He said, "We build cases such that when they go to the District Attorney's office, they are strong cases so that they go to jail for a long time. They are put out of business so that you can break the cycle of what they are doing in this town."
The Gang Unit isn't only working on eradication of gangs, but also educating the public on what to look out for. Last year, they held 115 workshops on gang activity.
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