By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Aug 5, 2008
Updated: Aug 5, 2008

WAKE COUNTY — This Saturday, NC WANTED brings you a special episode on gangs in our communities. Recent news involving Crips and Bloods compelled NC WANTED to examine the realities of gang activity and the contributing forces that allow the problem to grow and thrive. Tune in Saturday at 10:35 p.m.

WAKE COUNTY: A recent gang-related crime spike in Raleigh prompted federal agencies to lend assistance to suppressing the city's growing gang problem.

The U.S. Attorney's Office released a news statement Monday to announce that it, along with federal law enforcement, would work directly with Raleigh police and the Wake County district attorney to enforce federal firearms and drug laws against gang members and violent criminals.

"As many are aware, the Raleigh area has experienced a recent spike in homicides and robberies, many of which are gang-related," U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding said in the news release. "Other gang-related crimes have also drawn recent attention. While local law enforcement bears the burden of investigating and prosecuting the majority of such crimes, particularly those involving juveniles, federal law enforcement is actively involved in this effort."

Last week, Raleigh police chief Harry Dolan called the city's gang problem "significant."

In late July, a massive brawl broke out in a Raleigh area shopping center involving between 200 and 300 people. The investigation led police to arrest six suspects and determined that the incident was gang-related. Teenagers on the upper level of the mall broke out into a fight, which eventually poured out into the parking lot. One teen was stabbed and treated at WakeMed. No guns were used in the incident.

The same week, a shooting on the N.C. State campus that injured two students was also determined to be gang-related. Three men have been charged with attempted murder and assualt with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

Enforcement of drug and firearms laws, Holding said, will help keep repeat offenders, including gang members, off the streets. Last month, for example, Brian Curtis Autry, a high-ranking member of the 9-Tre Bloods, was sentenced to 192 months in prison for federal gun and drug law violations.

Four other 9-Tre Blood members also received federal prison sentences last month.

Timothy Devine, one of the leaders of the Gangsta Killer Bloods in Raleigh, was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment in January for a federal conviction on firearms charges. Another Gangsta Killer Blood member faces federal gun and robbery charges.

By targeting guns and drugs, federal authorities can effectively dismantle gang organizations, who rely on both to commit violent crimes, the release stated.

"We are working very diligently to focus all available federal resources on the problem of violent crime in the Eastern District. Partnering with our state and local counterparts, we are committed to safe communities in this federal district," Holding said.

A $2.5 million grant was awarded to Wake County and Durham this year to assist with gang prevention and enforcement.