State database to help officers in fight against gang violence

Law enforcement officials need all the help they can get in their fight against gangs.

That’s why we think it’s a good step that South Carolina will have a statewide database on gangs available to all law enforcement officers.

Officials with the State Law Enforcement Division have launched the to be called SCGangNET.

It was announced recently during a statewide meeting of law enforcement officials during a conference held in Greenville.

According to an Associated Press story, the web-based program’s goal is to help track gangs and their members in our state.

This goes along with various federal programs, as well as local efforts.

Officers need all the help they can get.

“This technology is another valuable tool that will help the law enforcement family to gather more gang intelligence,” SLED director Reggie Lloyd told the AP. “GangNET is a resource that sends a strong message to street gangs that we’re continuing our crackdown on their violence.”

According to the AP story, there are more than 100 gangs in South Carolina, according to preliminary data from SLED.

This new database will help law enforcement as they try to determine trends and any patterns.

And, of course, it’ll help do that they need more than just what’s happening on the local level.

SLED will operate the database, and it will be used by its Gang Intelligence Team.

More than a dozen other states already use GangNET programs, Eric Zidenberg, SRA International’s public safety program director, said in the AP story.

“Ultimately, gangs are very mobile, even from state to state and within the state,” he told the AP. “So, by an officer entering in information on one gang member in one part of the state, it’s now immediately available to anybody else in another part of the state.”

A $531,000 federal grant will pay for the program.

It’s another step in the many efforts to fight gang violence.

Pee Dee law enforcement agencies have several partnerships in place to help.

And other agencies and faith based groups are working to deal with the problem, as well.

As the economy gets worse, we know the possibility of gang violence will increase, as well.

We hope this is another step to helping avoid territorial issues which can hamper efforts to fight gangs.