Three-year-old gang task force achieving results in Anderson County

ANDERSON COUNTY - Members of the Anderson County Gang Task Force, which was formed three years ago, believe their efforts are starting to make a difference.

The number of gang-related crimes in Anderson County dropped to 57 in 2010 from 89 in 2009. The task force members, which include two sheriff's deputies and two city police officers, are hoping to see a further decrease when statistics for 2011 are released.

Since the beginning of 2011, the task force has made 134 arrests and seized 30 firearms, sheriff's Lt. Mark Gregory said last week. As part of an effort to educate the community, task force members also have conducted 26 gang-awareness presentations since the start of last year, Gregory said.

Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper said the gang task force has excelled at developing a network of sources throughout the county that provide information about local street gangs.

"We don't want to scare our community, but we do have issues (with gangs)."

"We don't want to scare our community, but we do have issues (with gangs)," Skipper said.

But, he added, the task force is doing a good job "addressing these issues."

Since its inception, the task force has worked with prosecutors to put violent gang members behind bars. Six men who are believed to be affiliated with local gangs have received prison sentences ranging from 18 years to 30 years after being convicted of crimes such as burglary, drug trafficking and armed robbery.

Gregory said obtaining those convictions has been personally gratifying.

"If I can get one violent criminal off the streets, I know that it makes an impact," Gregory said.

Gregory also takes pride in the fact that the sheriff's office and the Anderson Police Department have received more than $100,000 worth of federal grants in the past two years to help defray the costs of the task