Georgia launched its first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit on July 1, which partners federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute gang crimes.
Attorney General Chris Carr spoke on WDUN’s Newsroom about how the new unit will tackle rising gang violence.
According to a survey conducted in 2018 by the Georgia Gang Investigators Association, 157 out of 159 Georgia counties have gang members residing in them. But Carr said in reality, gang crimes stretch across all portions of the state.
“Gangs don't care about city and county lines, but they are operating in multiple cities or multiple counties,” Carr said.
Since gangs often operate in multiple counties, Carr said the Gang Prosecution Unit will take the responsibility of prosecuting gang members from local district attorneys.
“Where you have a gang, maybe operating in two, three or four different circuits…Where you have two, three or four different DAs that would have to deal with the issue, that may make more sense from an efficiency and a judicial economy standpoint for us to come in,” Carr said.
Carr pointed out that it will also be easier to prosecute organized retail crime, which often involves groups of gangs who work together across the state.
The Gang Prosecution Unit is led by Chief Prosecutor Cara Convery, who also served as the former Deputy District Attorney of the Fulton County Gang Unit.
The Attorney General’s Prosecution Division houses the new Gang Prosecution Unit, alongside Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. These two units will work hand in hand, since gang crime and human trafficking are typically linked.
“We know the data shows about 80% of all human trafficking is gang affiliated,” Carr said.
Gangs also frequently operate within the corrections system by sneaking in contraband cell phones. Since different counties may have limited resources, the Gang Prosecution Unit will be able to assist smaller jurisdictions.
Carr said this new Unit will ensure the safety of all Georgians, particularly those who live in low-income neighborhoods.
“The Georgia Constitution is very clear [that] it's the primary responsibility of government to protect persons and property,” Carr said. “Article One, Section One, paragraph two of the Constitution says that. And so it doesn't matter to me whether you live in southwest Georgia or southwest Atlanta or Buckhead or Gainesville, every single Georgian deserves to be safe.”
Listen to the full interview by clicking the link above.
