Attorney General Chris Carr, joined by Governor Brian Kemp, today hosted the latest meeting of the Georgia Anti-Gang Network in Atlanta. With local, state and federal partners in attendance, the meeting centered on new and ongoing anti-recruitment efforts, including SB 44, which increases the penalties for those convicted of recruiting a person under the age of 17 into a criminal street gang.
“Gang activity targeting our schools and our children is particularly egregious and will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Carr. “Alongside Governor Brian Kemp and members of the General Assembly, we are working to ensure that those who recruit our kids into a life of violent crime are vigorously pursued and aggressively prosecuted. We are proud to be in this fight with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, and we will continue to serve as a force multiplier in our ongoing efforts to keep all Georgians safe.”
Through increased communication and information sharing, the Attorney General’s Anti-Gang Network brings together all levels of law enforcement to create a more strategic response to gang activity across the state. The network’s focus is complemented by the work of the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Gang Task Force, the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Multi-Agency Crime Suppression Unit, the Georgia Department of Corrections’ (GDC) Office of Professional Standards Investigative Division, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice’s (DJJ) Office of Investigation Special Operations, and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision’s Special Operations Unit. In 2017, the average age of youth in DJJ custody who admitted gang affiliation was approximately 16 years old.
“We’re making clear to gangs all across Georgia: come after our children, and we will come after you,” said Governor Kemp. “I’m grateful for Attorney General Carr’s continued…
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