Violent Crime Task Force -- Charlotte, NC

Program Type or Federal Program Source:
Task force to target violent crime and criminals.

Program Goal:
To investigate crimes involving guns, violent career criminals, and violent organizations or gangs.

Specific Groups Targeted by the Strategy:
Violent career criminals, including both adults and juveniles.

Contact Information:
Jack Davis
North Carolina State Bureau of
Investigation
P.O. Box 1042
Huntersville, NC 28078
Phone: 7045221491

The Violent Crime Task Force in Charlotte, NC, comprises 25 Federal, State, and local agents. The task force's goal is to investigate crimes involving violent organizations or gangs, guns, and violent career criminals. The member agencies of the task force include ATF, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the U.S. Secret Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A set of standard operating procedures details the roles and responsibilities of the task force members and establishes the screening criteria by which the task force reviews cases and decides whether to assume lead investigative responsibility, thereby making use of its limited assets. Two criteria are applied for gun cases: first, the target organization must be using or stockpiling guns or weapons of mass destruction (i.e., explosives); and second, there must be a pattern of violent crimes, including shootings. These cases may be referred by any law enforcement agency within the task force's corresponding Federal judicial district.

CMPD, ATF, and SBI contribute supervisory personnel to coordinate activities and assignment of cases. The special agents in charge of ATF and SBI and the Deputy Chief for CMPD retain overall command of the task force and serve as an advisory board with other participating agencies.

Because we have limited resources, we have learned to be strategic about how to use them. By creating the Violent Crime Task Force, we have been able to combine the resources from 25 local, State, and Federal agents to investigate crimes involving violent organizations, gangs, and violent career criminals. The task force has developed two criteria for deciding which crimes will be targeted: first, we target organizations that are using or stockpiling guns or weapons of mass destruction (like explosives); second, we target individuals and groups that show a pattern of violent crimes.

-- Jack Davis
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation

From early 1990 through July 1996, the task force initiated 220 firearm-related investigations, targeting 1,290 individuals, which resulted in 650 Federal indictments and 170 State indictments. As a result of the task force's efforts, 29 life sentences were issued; 385 weapons were seized (195 semiautomatic pistols, 80 revolvers, 49 shotguns, 44 rifles, 10 machine guns, and 7 fire bombs); 23 vehicles and 9 properties were seized; large quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine were confiscated; and $712 in U.S. currency was recovered. Additionally, the task force has identified 122 gang-related organizations.