Forum Places Focus on Gangs

Between 30 and 40 citizens turned out for a law enforcement round-table Monday night at Howard Coffin Park. The meeting included City Police Chief Kevin Jones, County Chief John Powell, County Sheriff Neal Jump, and Sgt. 1st Class Chad Gray, the commander of the Georgia State Patrol’s Brunswick Post. According to Jones part of the current rise in crime is due to gang activity. Over the last three years the crime rate has gone down every year. But, starting this year it’s starting to go back up. Jones said police will target the gangs because when gang members are arreseted, crime in the city drops. Law enforcement officials agreed that the increase in shooting incidents, thefts and burglaries that has occurred since the first of the year can be attributed to the illegal drug trade that is the commerce of street gangs. Roughly 26 street gangs operate throughout the city and Glynn County that are loosely affiliated with familiar big city gangs. The officers said they were going to target gangs and work towards greater inter-agency cooperation.