Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is touting a new statewide initiative to combat gangs. The Miami Herald says the strategy will adopt much of what local authorities have used to battle back against a growing gang problem. It will be rolled out in seven regional task forces starting with Tampa Bay.
Florida’s 1,500 gangs have an estimated 70,000 members. McCollum urged business leaders and community organizations to get involved in the effort by taking ownership of their regional task force on gangs. “Everybody’s committing themselves to make this happen,” he said. “We need support.” While petty crimes pose a smaller threat to the community than gangs, they, too, cannot be overlooked as they are expected to climb, McCollum said.
Link: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/598181.html