Guess you cant please everybody

[Seand442]

11 nabbed in crackdown on neighborhood gang
advertisement

Yvonne Wingett
The Arizona Republic
May. 24, 2004 12:00 AM


NORTHEAST PHOENIX - Authorities have delivered a crippling blow to a gang that operates in and around the Palomino neighborhood, police said.

After months of infiltrating and tracking the Mexican Brown Pride gang, authorities on May 14 apprehended 11 suspects, including the leader in connection with a long list of illegal activities in the neighborhood around 32nd Street and Bell Road, said Cmdr. Kim Humphrey, a Phoenix police spokes- man.

"We conducted a criminal syndicate investigation, that's what they did to the Mafia," he said Friday. "Our special-project unit was able to infiltrate this criminal organization, develop a relationship with the criminal street gang and purchase large quantities of illegal drugs, stolen vehicles and weapons."

Most of the suspects were believed to be undocumented immigrants at the time of arrest, said Russell Ahr, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix.

Authorities are still seeking eight suspects. A total of 98 charges against all 19 suspects are expected, Humphrey said. Charges will include sales of narcotic drugs, auto theft, attempted trafficking of stolen property, and assisting a criminal street gang, he said.

Police served eight search warrants and recovered $118,000 worth of stolen property and 25 stolen vehicles, Humphrey said.

The investigation into the gang by federal and local law enforcement began last September.

*Federal authorities are patrolling the Palomino neighborhood for undocumented gang members despite earlier complaints from activists who say law enforcement officials are unfairly targeting the area.

*Palomino residents and business owners have been suffering a growing gang problem in the northeast Phoenix enclave since several gang leaders were released from jail over the past year, Phoenix police have said.

*Although only one gang runs the square-mile neighborhood, it has 120 members and is characterized as "severe" by authorities because of its gang-on-gang violence, armed robberies and aggravated assault.

*ICE routinely searches for undocumented gang members in the area, despite complaints from some Latinos and activists who say law enforcement officials are unfairly targeting the area.

"We cut off the head of the organization," Humphrey said. "This is going to cripple that gang."

__________________________________________________ _______________
So we do our jobs by getting gang leaders and criminals off the street and what is our thank you? Lets piss and moan and complain because you were unfairly targeting our neighborhood. In retrospect, why not just let them go and they can continue to do their bidness and when the residents call, "sorry too many complaints, we can't go there"
We don't want crime here but we also don't want to have the police here either.

[mrbelvetron]

Targeting people who are in the country illegally? :eek:
How dare they! :rolleyes:

[Group9]

Pretty soon they will start calling them "pre-citizens". :D