Countywide : Computer Recruited to Help Track Gangs

County law enforcement officials on Monday unveiled a new computer tool to keep tab on people suspected of being gang members, and it’s called GREAT, for General Reporting Evaluation and Tracking.

The $284,000 high-speed computer system allows 27 county agencies to access the profiles of more than 13,000 gang members or those suspected of belonging to gangs.

Officials pointed out that the public does not have access to the system. Police agencies can use modems to tap into the system, which is based in the office of the district attorney’s gang unit.

The profiles contain gang members’ names, street monikers, addresses, cars, tattoos, gang affiliations and, sometimes, color photographs.

The information is compiled by individual law enforcement agencies, program manager Lon Erickson said.

People don’t have to be arrested or charged with a crime to have their vital statistics entered into the database, Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi said.

County law enforcement officials use one of the following six criteria to determine whether someone should be entered into the computer system: a person admits that he or she is a gang member; the information comes from a reliable informant; the information comes from an untested informant but with the corroboration of someone reliable; the person resides in or frequents a known gang area; the person sports gang symbols, such as clothing or tattoos; the person has been arrested several times with known gang members.

Also, a person is considered a gang associate if seen with known gang members.

Law officials said the criteria help reduce chances of an innocent person’s profile being entered into the system.

“We are confident that those in the database are gang members or associates,” Capizzi said.