Burning Atlanta

Geez, in many ways I think it's almost too late. They're so heavily entrenched it's going to take more than 35 officers dedicated to the problem. But, hey, good idea. And get ICE involved.

Bust them all.

Come Saturday, Gwinnett police will devote up to 35 officers to tracking street gangs - and the corruption, graffiti and violence they spawn - as part of the force's most comprehensive crackdown on organized crime in recent years.

They call it a new gang enforcement strategy. The initiative will skim three or four officers from the department's existing gang task force, crime suppression unit and community response teams.

The new task force will focus on gang-related activity in known "problem areas" across Gwinnett. The group won't be limited to specific policing districts, cities or even specific gangs, such as the prevalent "Brownside Locos" or "La Raza" gangs, said Gwinnett police spokesman Officer David Schiralli.

The task force's functions will be four-pronged at least: It will concentrate patrols in hotbeds of gang activity, conduct special investigations, gather intelligence and make arrests, Schiralli said.

The group - eventually consisting of between 25 and 35 officers - hits the streets for the first time Saturday. It will remain active as long as it's needed, Schiralli said.

"We're trying a new solution to a problem," he said. "It's not that gang activity is on the rise. We know it' s there, we addressed it, and now we're taking a new approach to it."

Stan Hall, Director of the Victim Witness Program in the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, applauded the gang crackdown in an online newsletter Monday.

"Gangs are here and they show no sign of leaving on their own," Hall wrote. "They are the driving force behind our crime rates ... they will kill you in a heartbeat."