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Gang Intervention Unit
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For graffiti removal from public or private property, contact Code Enforcement at 972-485-6400. The graffiti hotline number is
972-205-3999.
The Gang Unit is a specialized investigative unit of the Garland Police Department. The Gang Unit’s primary purpose is to reduce violent crimes committed by criminal street gangs, reduce the number of repeat juvenile offenders, the identification of at-risk youth, and intervention programs to prevent the increase of gang membership.
The Gang Unit employs multiple strategies to accomplish these goals:
. Community awareness meetings and programs.
· Highly visible street patrol and contact with gang members and associates.
· Tracking of identified gang members and associates by creating and maintaining gang intelligence files.
· Aggressive enforcement of criminal offenses committed by gang members and associates.
. Coordination with GISD to identify at risk youth.
The Gang Unit patrols the city wearing distinctive uniforms emblazoned with "GANG UNIT" on their shirts. The mere sight of these officers arriving on the scene brings disappointment to the gang members, and reassurance to the neighborhood.
The officers frequently work with the Criminal Investigation Unit and the School Resource Officers. The cooperative effort between the units has been effective in clearing criminal offenses and to quell disturbances at the schools.
The Gang Unit has published a brochure to make parents and juveniles aware of the dangers of involvement in gang activities. The brochure, in English and Spanish, is distributed at schools and public speaking engagements.
The Gang Unit is the primary investigative unit for gang related criminal offenses. The officers specialize in “drive-by” shooting investigations. The officers respond to the scene no matter what time it occurs and do not leave until they have the gang members in custody and the weapons recovered.
Gang Graffiti is intended to notify rival gangs of turf boundaries and the intentions of the gang’s membership toward their rivals. Not only does the graffiti alert other gang members as to what’s going on, but it also informs the police officer that is trained to "read" the language.
It is important that gang graffiti be removed or painted over as soon as possible to avoid retaliatory graffiti that can lead to violence. It is the responsibility of the property owner to remove the graffiti.
The Gang Unit can be reached at 972-485-4840.
Examples of gang graffiti
Information for parents
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