Greensboro, NC – Street gangs are a real and growing threat to the safety and well being of our neighborhoods and communities in North Carolina. This week, Anna Mills Wagoner, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Nathan Gray, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Division, announced a new way to aggressively combat this growing problem with the creation of a Safe Streets Task Force in the Triad area.

“For far too many of our citizens, the threat of gang violence and gang activity is a painful part of everyday life . The creation of this multi-agency task force reflects the commitment of law enforcement at every level--federal, state and local--to use every available tool to investigate, prosecute, and dismantle violent street gangs in the Middle District of North Carolina,” stated U.S. Attorney Wagoner.

The FBI began the Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative in 1992, and currently administers more than 130 task forces nationwide. The Safe Streets Task Force is a way for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to work together and share vital information used to investigate, prosecute and dismantle violent street gangs. In addition, official recognition of the Safe Streets Task Force enables the FBI to supply equipment and vehicles and to reimburse overtime expenses for full-time task force members. FBI SAC Gray emphasized, “Our job as FBI agents is to track down threats to our safety. We cannot do that alone which is why we have partnered with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to form the Safe Streets Task Force. Communities will appreciate the benefit of this task force when they see gang members arrested, prosecuted and sent to prison.”

“Gangs do not recognize or operate within law enforcement jurisdictional boundaries–so it is extremely important that all law enforcement agencies cooperate, communicate and collaborate if we are to be successful in combating gang activity. The Safe Streets Task Force insures that we will do just that,” added Wagoner.

The following law enforcement agencies are partnering with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to form the Safe Streets Task Force:

• U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• U.S. Secret Service
• Diplomatic Security Service
• U.S. Marshals Service
• North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
• North Carolina Department of Corrections
• Greensboro Police Department
• High Point Police Department
• Guilford County Sheriff’s Office
• Alamance County Sheriff’s Office
• Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office
• Gibsonville Police Department
• Lexington Police Department

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