This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake County's largest police agencies are leaving a well-established gang task force in favor of a new approach in the state's fight against gangs.
Within the past month, Salt Lake City and at least two other departments have left the countywide Metro Gang Unit for an FBI-led task force that will aim to dismantle gangs by pursuing federal anti-racketeering indictments. That puts the focus on prosecuting not only the gangsters who shoot, beat and rob, but gang leaders and associates who benefit.
"We're going to put these people together and get rid of them," Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank said.
The shift could also save cities money: Gang detectives who work with the FBI will have their overtime and other expenses paid for by the federal government.
Burbank has instructed all of his gang detectives to work with the FBI task force and has removed two officers from the countywide Metro Gang Unit so they can work with the new force.
Other departments are leaving Metro Gang, too. Unified Police Department Lt. Steve Anjewierden on Monday said Sandy and West Jordan have removed their officers, and Anjewierden was waiting for confirmation from Midvale, South Jordan and West Valley City that they plan to leave Metro Gang.
Since it was established in 1990, detectives from Metro Gang have gathered intelligence on gangs — learning their structures, rackets, slang and signage — then provided that information to rank-and-file police. In a gang-related murder, for example, detectives from Metro Gang would respond to help interview gang members or tell the homicide detectives what gang the victim and suspect belonged to.
Metro Gang detectives also taught seminars to community groups and educators throughout the valley. Anjewierden, who has the title of project director for Metro Gang, said the departures will mean less manpower for the unit.
"I still feel like we can be very effective because we can infuse that gang expertise into the situation almost immediately," Anjewierden said.
James McTighe, the special agent in charge of the FBI in Utah, said police assigned to the new task force will continue to do street-level intelligence gathering and share information with the FBI so it can pursue federal charges. While state laws only permit criminal charges against someone who perpetrated a crime, federal laws allow for criminal charges against people who did not actually participate in frauds, extortions or violence but who approved or aided such acts.
Federal prosecutors, however, must be able to show the crimes were ongoing and not a one-time event. McTighe acknowledged those investigations can take years before they go to court.
Federal prosecutors in Utah already have used anti-racketeering laws against a few gangs, such as in May when indictments were issued against 17 members of the Tongan Crip Gang. The indictments against TCG included alleged crimes committed in 2002.
"The advantage of the long-term investigation is we look at the entire enterprise top to bottom and focus on the leadership, the financial means of these enterprises," McTighe said.
He said federal funds will pay overtime for police officers as well as provide them vehicles, money to pay informants and other expenses.
Robert Duran, an associate professor of criminal justice at New Mexico State University, said pursuing racketeering cases against gangs will probably put more people in prison. But he is skeptical it will eliminate gangs, which tend to excel in pockets where people lack acceptance and opportunity.
"Gangs don't really match that same leader military-type structure that the Mafia crime families did," Duran said.
Both McTighe and Anjewierden said they see Metro Gang and the FBI force cooperating and sharing information about gangsters. Police chiefs were not forced to choose between the two, McTighe said.
Anjewierden said the number of police in Metro Gang had increased and decreased over the years, and he hopes its numbers swell again.
Pursuing racketeering cases "has its place, and I think it's important to do, but I don't think it's the only tool," Anjewierden said.
Gang fighters
These police departments and agencies still belong to the Metro Gang Unit
Cottonwood Heights
Granite School District
Juvenile Justice Services
Murray
South Salt Lake
Unified Police Department
Utah Department of Corrections
FBI
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
U.S. Marshals Service
The Metro Gang Unit is awaiting a decision from Midvale, South Jordan and West Valley City.
Source: Metro Gang Unit, Lt. Steve Anjewierden