War on Street Gangs
A St. Martin woman is expected to make a full recovery after being kidnapped and beaten by six people with ties to the Simon City Royals gang, bringing light to the issues of street gangs in South Mississippi.
A few months after the district attorney publically declared war on street gangs, we check in on how that process is going.
It’s been three months since District Attorney Tony Lawrence made the promise to clean up our streets. And while we may have forgotten what role street gangs play in our community, the arrest of six with ties to the Simon City Royals after beating a woman over the weekend brings it back to the forefront.
District Attorney Tony Lawrence said, “So many times, street gangs are the root of the serious problems we see. If you look at what’s going on in Gulfport, we saw in the paper over the weekend that we had a serious kidnapping in Jackson County. We recognize that there’s a problem and that’s why we’re trying to do something about it.”
A problem that won’t go away overnight, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell tells News 25 pursuing arrests on street gangs is a slow and methodical process. “We will get these. It just takes time and effort and an organized push with all local agencies.”
Before gang members can be held accountable in court, law enforcement officials are busy investigating and taking steps to learn how they operate. “We’re recognizing everything from murders to drug operations, to stealing property,” said Lawrence, “It’s a more organized effort and that’s why we’re getting concerned.”
So, in addition to observing actions, going through exiting case files and pursuing leads brought to them by the community, in a few weeks investigators will be traveling to some of the most effective gang conferences in the county. Sheriff Ezell says it’s better to be prepared and gather good intelligence so they can make arrests that will stick in front of a jury. “When you make cases, you want to make good, solid cases so that when you take them to court, you got good evidence.”
And while law enforcement agencies are asking for your patience while they combat street gangs in our community, they are continuing to ask for your help with any information to get violent gang members off our streets.
Sheriff Ezell also says programs like The Boys and Girls club are vital in trying to give kids an alternative lifestyle as opposed to going the wrong route.
A few months after the district attorney publically declared war on street gangs, we check in on how that process is going.
It’s been three months since District Attorney Tony Lawrence made the promise to clean up our streets. And while we may have forgotten what role street gangs play in our community, the arrest of six with ties to the Simon City Royals after beating a woman over the weekend brings it back to the forefront.
District Attorney Tony Lawrence said, “So many times, street gangs are the root of the serious problems we see. If you look at what’s going on in Gulfport, we saw in the paper over the weekend that we had a serious kidnapping in Jackson County. We recognize that there’s a problem and that’s why we’re trying to do something about it.”
A problem that won’t go away overnight, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell tells News 25 pursuing arrests on street gangs is a slow and methodical process. “We will get these. It just takes time and effort and an organized push with all local agencies.”
Before gang members can be held accountable in court, law enforcement officials are busy investigating and taking steps to learn how they operate. “We’re recognizing everything from murders to drug operations, to stealing property,” said Lawrence, “It’s a more organized effort and that’s why we’re getting concerned.”
So, in addition to observing actions, going through exiting case files and pursuing leads brought to them by the community, in a few weeks investigators will be traveling to some of the most effective gang conferences in the county. Sheriff Ezell says it’s better to be prepared and gather good intelligence so they can make arrests that will stick in front of a jury. “When you make cases, you want to make good, solid cases so that when you take them to court, you got good evidence.”
And while law enforcement agencies are asking for your patience while they combat street gangs in our community, they are continuing to ask for your help with any information to get violent gang members off our streets.
Sheriff Ezell also says programs like The Boys and Girls club are vital in trying to give kids an alternative lifestyle as opposed to going the wrong route.
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