Concord Police Chief Cracks Down On Gangs, Truancy
CONCORD (KCBS) ---- Gangs and truancy have a direct connection to crime according to Concord's new police chief, and he said he has tackled them both since taking office.
Police chief Guy Swanger recently told the Concord city council that when he first arrived there was a spike in gang activity.
"We've since worked with a lot of the property owners in that location and gotten a number of individuals evicted," Swanger said. He added they have also worked with school officials to identify kids who they think could be involved in gangs.
KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:
Chief Swanger claims there's been a dramatic drop in gang-related activity in that neighborhood. He's also been conducting sweeps to return truants to the classroom. Police Captain Daniel Siri said there's more to this than just giving kids a ride back to school.
"We have real candid conversations with these kids and what it is they're doing when they're not in school and what it is that brings them to break in that house and commit a residential burglary during the middle of the day," Siri said.
Capt. Siri said the PD has a gang intelligence unit that relies, in part, on information provided by school resource officers who help fellow officers get a jump on potential gang crimes and activity.
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