Georgia police and prosecutors now have a new tool to use in their fight against street gangs. The Georgia Criminal Street Gang Database (GCSGD) is now operational, according to the GBI.
The statewide database contains information about street gangs, gang members and associates, and criminal activities. It currently contains information on over 100 gangs and more than 17,000 gang members and associates.
The GBI, Department of Community Supervision (DCS), and Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) collaborated to develop the database.
“We are proud of this collaborative effort to provide a repository on gangs around the state,” says GBI Director Vic Reynolds. “Gangs don’t abide by city or county boundaries. With this statewide database operational, law enforcement across jurisdictional lines will be able to work together more efficiently and effectively to tie cases together to make Georgia safer.”
Lawmakers approved establishing the database in 2010. Gov. Kemp made it a priority due to the increase in gang activity around the state. As of July 2018, the Georgia Gang Investigators Association reported there were over 71,000 criminal street gang members and associates in the state of Georgia.
