Fresno Gang Task Force collaborative efforts to reduce violent crime in the City of Fresno.

The City/County of Fresno, California had a tumultuous 2021 and recent increase in 2022 for an unprecedented surge of violent crime, including gang related homicides involving a firearm and non-fatal shootings. Further exacerbating and contributing to the surge in violent gun crimes are large numbers of feuding gang members, and a steady supply of firearms, including “ghost guns” into the hands of offenders. The surge of violent crime overwhelmed Fresno Police Department (FPD) units and resources tasked with investigating violent crimes, leaving little time for analysis and long-term investigations of violent gun crimes and sources of supply of illegal firearms.

The project is centered around the upgrades of the Multi-Agency Gang Task Force/Fresno wire room in collaboration with the Fresno County District Attorney’s (DA) Office, and the United States Attorney's Office (AUSA). This wire room is one piece of the overall strategy to sustainability reduce violent crimes in Fresno County. The project area is the entire City of Fresno, with all residents benefiting from the project. The goal of the project is to reduce violent crimes in all of Fresno by identifying, investigating, and prosecuting armed violent crime gang offenders. The specific violent crimes the project will focus on reducing are homicides and non- fatal shootings. Fresno Multi Agency Gang Task Force continue to collaborate with and support existing initiatives, including the existing Fresno National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) site, and Project Safe Neighborhoods .

Major areas the project will focus on are comprehensive analysis of mapping, crime gun data, timely and systematic entry of all crime guns into e-Trace, community engagement via Valley Crime Stoppers, enhanced prosecution of gun crime cases in cooperation with PSN and targeting sources of supply of crime guns.

At the end of the project, the deliverables the Multi-Agency Gang Task Force will provide are:

Conduct data collection of gang related shootings/homicide cases
Conduct initial investigation “connecting the dots” with intel and NIBIN information and develop solutions (Wire investigations)
Conduct assessment of most active/violent gangs and gang members/associates
Violent crime prevention strategies in collaboration with PSN
Collection of performance data that reinforce the PSN goal