Combating Gangs on the Home Front

Tools

By Ryan Simms

Story Published: Jul 29, 2010 at 6:28 PM PDT

SUNNYSIDE -- KIMA has learned Sunnyside cops are combating gang violence where it begins... at the homes where gang members live.

Nancy Sandoval isn't taking any chances. In an age of gang trouble and drive-by shootings, she's staying close to home.

"I worry a lot... not just for my daughter, but for my little brothers, because they're in school," Sandoval says.

To calm parents like Sandoval, Sunnyside cops are now watching houses where known gang members live. Each officer on the force is in charge of a specific neighborhood. The benefits are two-fold: it allows police to track where gang members go, and it gives officers visibility in the community.

Those efforts couldn't come fast enough.

KIMA pulled the records on crime and discovered there have been four murders in Sunnyside this year. That's equal to all the murders in the city in the last three years.

In total, more than a dozen homes are being targeted; most of them in the area of Tacoma Avenue and Tenth Street

Upload directly from your mobile device.

Learn how

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

On Demand

Stay Connected