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GILBERT, Ariz. - Following acts of teen violence in the community, parents have voiced their concerns about the so-called "Gilbert Goons."
While law enforcement has yet to publicly name anyone as a member, the Gilbert Police Department is considering whether the group can be classified as a criminal street gang.
Gilbert Police confirmed its Street Crime Unit is working alongside other agencies, including the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Gang Enforcement Task Force, in these cases.
On Gilbert PD's website, the department vows to thoroughly investigate anyone identified with the group.
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‘These are criminal acts’
According to a retired FBI agent, it can take a lot of police work to do that.
"I don’t know where the name ‘Gilbert Goons’ came from, but it doesn’t seem to capture the seriousness of this. These are criminal acts," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Mitchell didn't mince words when discussing the group that some are blaming for a slew of assaults and attacks on teens in the East Valley.
Gilbert Police confirm they are aware of the group and are investigating if it could be a criminal street gang.
"If they are doing this through an organized street gang type of situation, we will look at the enhancement of gang charges or whether it was in furtherance of a street gang. We are not at that point yet to say we made a decision on that, but nothing is off the table," Mitchell said.
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'Gilbert Goons': Are they a classified criminal street gang?
Micheal Tabman is a retired FBI Special Agent in Charge who has experience in gang investigations.
"People have to be patient. You can’t just say, ‘I think they’re a gang’ and bring them to court. You’ve got to prove it," Tabman said.
He says it is much harder to investigate young people in a gang than those causing crimes on their own.
That’s because cases need to be built, connected, and established over time.
After being intimidated, not everyone wants to talk either.
"Take names, take notes, and find the way in. Try to look for crime trends, try to look for people to report to you, even if they don’t want to testify. Just telling you what happened, even just having someone say, ‘So-and-so threatened me.’ We put that together and that’s what we call intelligence," Tabman said.
Tabman stresses an important tool for law enforcement in these investigations is for people to come forward.
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What's classified as a "criminal street gang?"
"'Criminal street gang' means an ongoing formal or informal association of persons in which members or associates individually or collectively engage in the commission, attempted commission, facilitation or solicitation of any felony act and that has at least one individual who is a criminal street gang member," says Gilbert Police.
Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-105.9: "Criminal street gang member" means an individual to whom at least two of the following seven criteria that indicate criminal street gang membership apply:
A. Self-proclamation.
B. Witness testimony or official statement.
C. Written or electronic correspondence.
D. Paraphernalia or photographs.
E. Tattoos.
F. Clothing or colors.
G. Any other indicia of street gang membership.
Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2321: Participating in or assisting a criminal street gang; classification.
A. A person commits participating in a criminal street gang by any of the following:
- Intentionally organizing, managing, directing, supervising or financing a criminal street gang with the intent to promote or further the criminal objectives of the criminal street gang.
- Knowingly inciting or inducing others to engage in violence or intimidation to promote or further the criminal objectives of a criminal street gang.
- Furnishing advice or direction in the conduct, financing or management of a criminal street gang's affairs with the intent to promote or further the criminal objectives of a criminal street gang.
- Intentionally promoting or furthering the criminal objectives of a criminal street gang by inducing or committing any act or omission by a public servant in violation of the public servant's official duty.
B. A person commits assisting a criminal street gang by committing any felony offense, whether completed or preparatory for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with any criminal street gang.
C. Participating in a criminal street gang is a class 2 felony.
D. Assisting a criminal street gang is a class 3 felony.
E. Use of a common name or common identifying sign or symbol shall be admissible and may be considered in proving the existence of a criminal street gang or membership in a criminal street gang.
More information about criminal street gangs can also be found here.