Police Get High-Tech Help in Battling Gangs : Law enforcement: Computers purchased with forfeited drug money will link agencies to network providing data on gang members.

Law enforcement officers in Orange County are going high-tech in their war on street gangs.

Using $300,000 seized from drug dealers, a coalition of police departments and the Sheriff’s Department has purchased computers and software that will link officers instantaneously to a network providing data about gang members.

The computerized information system is called General Reporting Evaluation and Tracking, or GREAT. And Anaheim Police Capt. Roger Baker, who is coordinating the countywide move to link up to the network, said he thinks GREAT will live up to its name for Orange County law enforcement.

“This is a major, major step toward controlling gangs,” Baker said. “There are going to be 27 law enforcement agencies within Orange County that will use this system.” He said that number includes all city police departments in the county, the Sheriff’s Department, the district attorney’s office, the probation office and the private security forces at Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine.

“We start training Monday, and we’ll be on line (with the computer system) by mid-January,” Baker said.

County supervisors, who approved the purchase of the system earlier this month, praised it as a tool badly needed by law enforcement agencies to communicate and fight a type of crime that has spread throughout the region.

The system is already in operation in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Los Angeles County has been using GREAT since 1985 as its computerized database for gang information, said Sgt. Wes McBride of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s gang detail.

McBride said Los Angeles County has benefited from the computer system, and he praised Orange County for linking up.

“Orange County is getting proactive about gangs,” he said. “A good thing you have going for you in Orange County is that there’s a coordinated effort” among law enforcement agencies in the county.

McBride and Baker noted that gangs are becoming increasingly mobile. A greater need is cited for an electronic system that can keep track of gang members.

“Gang members don’t stop at city limits or county limits,” McBride said.

Every police department in Orange County will be getting a personal computer that links up to the GREAT network. Officers will be able to enter fragmentary information into the computer and possibly get full identification of suspects.

“Here’s an example,” said Baker. “Suppose there is a gang-related crime in Anaheim, and all we find out from witnesses is that the person doing the shooting was called ‘Louis Louis.’ Well, we can take that name, go into the computer, and if there’s a ‘Louis Louis’ gang member, we can get information about him.”

The stored information also includes last known addresses for gang members, vehicles they drive, tattoos and other distinguishing marks, as well as computerized photos.

“One of the best things about this is that we’re getting this computer system at absolutely no dollar cost to the taxpayers,” said Baker. “The money is (drug) forfeiture from the Orange County Regional Narcotics Suppression Program.” State and federal laws permit police to keep drug-related money and property seized from people convicted of drug violations.

Baker said the “recycling” of criminal money is particularly gratifying.

“This is providing us technology to meet our needs,” he said.