Mass Indictments Expected To Cut Down Gilroy Gang Activity
GILROY (KCBS) — Gilroy police said they expect to see a drop in gang-related crimes because of the massive grand jury indictment of violent gang members on Thursday.
Thirty-four defendants, who were indicted on May 30 in connection with activities by the Nuestra Familia criminal street gang in Santa Clara County, will be arraigned on Thursday.
Gang crime in Gilroy had spiked to historic levels but dropped to zero after the implantation of an 18-month undercover investigation dubbed "Operation Royal Flush," said Police Chief Denise Turner.
Mass Indictments Expected To Cut Down Gilroy Gang Activity
"Weekly we were having stabbings, shootings, drive-bys, and several gang homicides in the year prior our operation," she said.
The Gilroy Police Department operation targeted criminal street gangs in and brought them to Santa Clara County prosecutors.
The charges against the gang members include murder, robbery, drug sales, witness intimidation and weapons violations. Nine of the gang members are still at large and five others are in custody in other jurisdiction.
Turner said they have had two gang-related homicides since the beginning of the year and they are starting to see small spike in violent crime again, but she hopes the indictment will send a message to gang members.
"We're not done and we're going to continue the pressure on our gangs." she said.
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