Local gang investigation nets 33 arrests
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SEATTLE (AP) - The U.S. attorney in Seattle says a three-month, multi-agency investigation that targeted upper-level gang members in south Seattle and nearby communities has resulted in 33 arrests.
Jenny Durkan said Tuesday the "Hot Spot" initiative also seized nearly 14 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 firearms.
"These guns represent more than just guns. They represent what could've been shattered lives, shattered families and violence in the community," Durkan said.
The probe was led by federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigation and included local law enforcement agencies. It focused on Kent, Renton and Tukwila in addition to south Seattle.
"Had this remained in our community we can only begin to imagine how much misery this would cause," said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.
Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas says such an operation is necessary "to deal with the worst of the worst gang members so our programs of prevention and intervention will have a real opportunity to be successful."
A similar initiative directed at the White Center area resulted in more than 50 arrests last year, as well as drug and gun seizures.
Jenny Durkan said Tuesday the "Hot Spot" initiative also seized nearly 14 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 firearms.
"These guns represent more than just guns. They represent what could've been shattered lives, shattered families and violence in the community," Durkan said.
The probe was led by federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigation and included local law enforcement agencies. It focused on Kent, Renton and Tukwila in addition to south Seattle.
"Had this remained in our community we can only begin to imagine how much misery this would cause," said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.
Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas says such an operation is necessary "to deal with the worst of the worst gang members so our programs of prevention and intervention will have a real opportunity to be successful."
A similar initiative directed at the White Center area resulted in more than 50 arrests last year, as well as drug and gun seizures.
Excellent! Good work and a big Thank you to Law Enforcement personnel!!
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At least that's 33 fewer pukes on the streets for a while...and good work routing the straw sellers who are out there selling the creeps guns.
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A good start. Now get the convictions and serious jail time for these thugs.Â
Gang member = life. It's about time we're focusing our resources to rid society of this cancer. How hard can it be to infiltrate and arrest these low life poor excuses of flesh. Gang members aren't known to be the sharpest tools in the shed. Appeal to their greed and you're in. Good job law enforcement. Let's keep up the pace. There's a lot more vermin to catch.
 @69GT infiltration is risky business, not for the faint of heart, plus you need some credentials, which often includes committing a serious crime before they trust you
Now if they could just pass a law that states "If you have any gang related tattoos you get incarcerated" we would get rid of a whole bunch of wasted space.
 @tkyed What if they considered any tattoo to be gang related?Â
@angkor_warrior I'm talking about the obvious ones like street names, blood this crip that, tear drops etc...
How many of the fifty arrests last year were repeats this year?
WHY are they just bothering the worst of the worst of them? The "gang" should be prosecuted as a group. They planned their crimes as a group.
At least give them the new tattoo. You know, the one on their forehead that says "Do Not Resuscitate".
I look forward to much more good work like this in the future.
Any Fast and Furious weapons in there...?
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How many of these guns were bought at legitimate gun dealers with thorough background checks and not illegally out of the trunk of some car in a dark alley...
 @Truth Percolates I would guess most were obtained legally by the original owners and then stolen in home robbery.
In less then a year most will be back on the street released straight from county jail. Till then they'll sit around playing cards, watching T.V., eating, sleeping, and boasting about their crimes.
"Book 'em, Danno!"
Oh don't stop now! Keep goin' till they're all off! And most of all, KEEP THEM OFF!!!
33 gang members, but only 28 guns? Not much of an arsenal. If the photo is representative, they are not particularly high quality, either, (aside from what looks like it might be an MP5, but if the magazine is any indicator it is just a .22 LR MP5 look-alike). They must not be smart enough to make use of the "gun show loop-hole." Or else that "loop-hole" isn't NEARLY the problem that liberals are always claiming it is.
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In any case, good job on getting the gang-thugs and drugs off the streets. As to the guns? Meh. They are not good or evil, just tools that may amplify the intent of the person holding it.
Now keep them off the streets... permanently.
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"More "thugs" hangin'... less "gangs" bangin'...!"
 @TheTruncheon then u woke up? so now they know of them, really think they will stop? cuz they wont be keeping them off the streets ,just teaching them to hide even better. money. oh did i say that out load? we can only hope for better, safer streets.... like more law enforcement
Hmm.....I'd love to give a few of those guns a new, better home. Put them in the right hands and they will do good. Glad a few more bangers are off the streets. Hopefully the feds will do what our local judges can't seem to....keep them behind bars.
Thirty-three is a good starting number, especially if they are the upper level dirtbags. Keep it up! Don't stop until they are all off the streets.
Great job to every one that had any thing to do with this operation. I appreciate your work to keep the street and neighborhoods safe.
Good, ship all of the bangers off to Attu Island. The weather should be getting really nice there about now.
I hope they don't end up in front of one of these soft judges.
Glad to see the guns and drugs off the street, I hope they keep up the work and get more dumba** off the streets
So...what's the name of the gang? Â
SPD & KKK.
@TJM Gang? Thats just one set or one neighborhood. Its good that they got these guys off the street, but after that long of an investigation, I would expect something more like an invasion of a sovereign nation and occupation. 33 is not a big number by any means.
Btw, I knew you were being sarcastic.
@TJM
Mak Pak and MS 13 I was told by a friend who works as a defense attorney.
Mad Pac.
 @TJM South End Gangsters or so I was told by a SPD officer recently.
 @I Like Meat  @TJM My, they're a creative group, aren't they.  That's the best name they could come up with?
 @TJM TSA
I'm glad these zombies, guns and the meth are off the streets...please LE, keep up the good work!!!
Now that you have them, take them, and their guns, out back..........I think you all know where I'm going with this......
@Wolfen I prefer ropes.
can you imagine if we banned guns? Â this wouldn't happen at all! Â none of these criminals would be able to legally buy their weapons at big5 anymore. Â nice job officers!Â
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 @n9078jk4 Don't forget spears too, one of the most primitive, yet deadly, of weapons.
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But a primitive gun or gunpowder projectile device of some sort is really pretty easy to make.... since the knowledge of how to do so has been around for OVER SIX-HUNDRED YEARS.
@nobelprizeme ... Imagine if we banned criminals!!! this wouldn't happen at all! ...nice try!
 @TreeTopFlyer  @nobelprizeme im guessing the sarcasm flew right over your head.
 @nobelprizeme  @TreeTopFlyer Given your avatar that appears to support communists, butchers, and gun-control advocates (but I repeat myself), I think he reasonably assumed you were being serious (and clueless).
Why don't they start a national on-line registry for gang members like they have for sex offenders? Gangs are responsible for getting our kids hooked on drugs, most of the violence in the city, and child rape in the form of underage prostitution.
@Magic 8 Ball That is a very good idea. I know in prison you get put into a database if they can prove you are gang affiliated so why not?? To me gang bangers that try to walk around and intimidate people are a bunch of idiots. My 8 year old son could pull a trigger. They are too damn stupid and lazy to get off their ass and do something so they either take things from people or sit on governemnt assistance. If they put even half the energy into trying to do something with their life they put into trying to initimidate people they woudl be amazed how far they could come.Â
 @Magic 8 Ball LOL. A registered gang member. nice.
 @Magic 8 Ball if u have a felony, u r pretty much a homeless person , no proper person will rent to u.or give u a job .so the life of crime is the only way they got left , they r now in it till death do they part. who they take with them? they dont care. i think its like escape from new york yet they dont have a place for them,cuz they cant keep that stupid silly yet deadly crap off the streets,drugs r these people,felony's r not going to ever be taken lightly and these people will never live with out knowing what they have become,so the danger continues.they make money, money is life.they dont care if someone blast their photo across the nation
 @maggie112  @Magic 8 Ball Good Lord...could you please use some grammar, spelling and punctuation?  Your post is nearly incomprehensible.
 @Magic 8 Ball One problem with that idea: For every name in the world, there's at least one or two people with that name.
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Innocent people are inevitably going to get caught up in it, like how the no-fly list has screwed over Muslim-Americans from Portland, OR and Queens, NY who were visiting relatives in Montenegro and doing goodwill missions in Libya (humanitarian aid with the Red Cross, for instance).
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I have no interest in dealing with that kind of bureaucratic nightmare.
 @NKato Well, that's easy. The bad guys on the "gang-list" get permanently chipped so they are easy to I.D. Problem solved.
 @TheTruncheon  @NKato I think their foreheads should be branded.  Of course, there are many gang members who are able to figure out that this is a bad idea and get themselves out so maybe that would be a little harsh.  A tattoo maybe?
 @Magic 8 Ball dang good idea.  being on this list could automatically put you on the no-fly list, ineligible for jobs involving public service or children, and forbidden from receiving any sort of publicly funded benefits.  oh, and no ballot for you either.
@nobelprizeme @Magic 8 Ball I'll vote yes on that one.
Good job. Now please educate Federal Way and Fife police so we will get the riff raff that used to live in Hill Top off the streets.