Pomona’s latest Zero Tolerance Gang Detail launched into action January 9, 2015, after the quiet holidays.
According to Sgt. Brian Haggerty of the Major Crimes Task Force, Pomona PD, and the District Attorney’s Investigation Unit joined forces for an undercover operation to address “a spike in shootings and violent crimes in known gang areas.”
“With our own cars and own units equipped with lights and sirens,” Sgt. Haggerty said the interagency detail “teamed up to hit hot spots in the known gang areas for 10 hours, and brought in eight known gang members. It’s a good relationship.”
Their sweep included “traffic stops and pedestrian stops which produces evidence, or dope – to build probable cause. Some had warrants; some ran. The goal is to produce the best evidence – enough narcotics to exceed the Prop. 47 misdemeanor, or enough baggies, or a felony from a gang member with a gun – to search houses and cars. We know a lot of them by their gang and moniker. One arrestee had a shotgun on his person and had methamphetamines.”
Due to the court hearings, the D.A.’s office has not released the names, but an example of one gang member’s arrest led to the following multiple charges: 11370.1(A) possession of controlled substance with firearm, 25850(C)(3) carrying a loaded firearm as a gang member, 30305 (A)(1) felon in possession of ammunition, 29800(A)(1) felon in possession of a firearm, 11378 possession of controlled substance for sale, 11379 transport/sale of control substance, and 25400(A)(1) driving with a gun in the vehicle.
Sgt. Haggerty concluded, “We like to team up with extra patrol and saturate the area. Things are getting better. The community is helping us ID when they call us. We will be out there at all times, to keep the city safer and a better place to hang out. “
