The rising amount of gang violence in and around the Northern Virginia area is placing innocent citizens at risk of serious injury or death, and is indicative of the further development and evolution of criminal street gang activity. This criminal activity is highly mobile and routinely crosses jurisdictional boundaries. While individual jurisdictions may have a localized gang problem, it is imperative that the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force's intelligence efforts represent all jurisdictions, and be linked to neighboring jurisdictions to maximize the effectiveness of information sharing.
In 1998, the Northern Virginia Law Enforcement Gang Suppression and Intervention Program was established. It is now considered a proven and successful program. In an effort to expand on the successes of the program, the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force was developed in 2003. The Gang Task Force currently includes law enforcement officers from Fairfax County Police Department, Town of Herndon Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Town of Leesburg Police Department, City of Manassas Police Department, City of Manassas Park Police Department, Prince William County Police Department and the Virginia State Police.
Along with current law enforcement agencies, this initiative includes the involvement of the Offices of the Commonwealth's Attorneys, Juvenile and Adult Probation and Parole, federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, BATF, USICE, and the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Should continuation funding be approved the Gang Task Force would also include officers from the City of Alexandria Police Department, Town of Dumfries Police Department, Arlington County Police Department, City of Fairfax Police Department and a Detective from the Fairfax County Police Department (non-supervisory). Additional funding will also be utilized to hire a part-time Crime Prevention/Public Information Officer who will be responsible for coordinating the education efforts of the Gang Task Force.
The task force has devised a plan that is both strategic and tactical. This plan is based on three components: education, prevention/intervention and enforcement. The first year the task force was in existence, the primary goal was that of suppression with integrated educational aspects. This goal will continue into the second year.
A fundamental role of the task force is one of gathering and disseminating criminal gang information. Additionally, each member will be required to take on the role of "gang educator." They will educate fellow officers, school personnel, other criminal justice professionals and the community about gang identification and appropriate responses to the rising gang problem.NCA/NCF
