Gang Unit Gets New Leader

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Story Published: Jan 6, 2009 at 6:42 PM PDT

By Steve Wellman

For five years, Sergeant Joe Salinas has been at the center of Yakima's battle against street gangs.
"A lot of car chases, a lot of foot chases, a lot of things we were able to stop from happening," he says.

Salinas and his team of other officers have racked up hundreds of arrests and convictions as they target gangbangers around the area. The sergeant is proud of their achievements. "They've put a lot of bad people that needed to be in jail, in jail."

But after all this success...Salinas is cleaning out his desk.

"Making the move," he says, packing boxes.

The gang team sergeant who was in on the formation of the unit says it's time to get back to regular patrol duties. Salinas has a young family and working late nights with no weekends off is tough when you have kids at home. Still, he says he'll miss his team: "It was difficult to make the choice to leave considering the personnel I'm working with."

Salinas turns over the reins to Sergeant Eric Hildebrand and plans are to continue and even expand the gang unit's mission. Salinas explains, "We’re innovating new things, under cover, other things."

And even though he'll be back on patrol Salinas says Yakima gangs will feel increasing pressure from cops. "We're in a better place than we were five years ago, because of the gang unit.”

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