EAST PALO ALTO
Sweep of gangs nets 45 arrests
A crackdown on organized drug gangs that law enforcement officials believe are responsible for a wave of violence in East Palo Alto has resulted in 45 arrests and the seizure of $500,000 worth of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, officials said Thursday.
Police are searching for an additional 11 suspects connected with the case.
Spurred by a rising tide of violence in East Palo Alto, which has seen 13 killings since January, local officials teamed up with an array of federal law enforcement agencies to focus on drug gangs that have taken over local parks and streets -- and terrified East Palo Alto residents.
Most of the arrests took place during the past two weeks, according to San Mateo County Sheriff Don Horsley, but one suspect was apprehended shortly after officials announced the results of the crackdown. Officers said Steven Williams, 33, of East Palo Alto was in possession of a 9mm Glock pistol when he was arrested Thursday afternoon and held on suspicion of cocaine distribution.
"Our message to the community, and to the criminals not caught up in this particular operation, is that this is not the end -- this is just the beginning," East Palo Alto Mayor David Woods said at a morning news conference in Redwood City. "We will rid the city of this element, at all costs."
Horsley said the arrests have removed "some really significant criminals" from the streets, including Tarnishia Paul, 33, of East Palo Alto, an alleged master of disguises who officials suspect has been involved in at least eight bank robberies in the Bay Area.
The suspects in custody have allegedly been linked to seven separate criminal gangs, officials said, but it is unclear whether those gangs were working in concert, engaging in turf wars, or perhaps a combination of both scenarios.
None of the 45 suspects has been charged with homicide, but officials are investigating possible links to killings in East Palo Alto and beyond. The investigation uncovered links between the East Palo Alto gangs and criminal activity in Modesto and the East Bay, officials said.
Firearms seized during the arrests will be tested at the county's crime lab to see whether they can be linked to shootings throughout California, Horsley said.
Ron Davis, East Palo Alto's police chief, said the city acted on lessons learned in the early 1990s, when gang warfare and 42 homicides in one year made the town the per-capita slaying capital of the United States. Those lessons included asking for help from federal agencies before local crime spiraled out of control.
"We made promises at that time that we would never let the violence rise as high as it was in the '90s," Davis said.
Local officials sought help from federal agencies in March, Davis said. At that time, the city had experienced four homicides, but authorities could tell that gang violence was on the rise.
The resulting collaboration with the Mobile Enforcement Team -- a special group of agents within the federal Drug Enforcement Administration -- brought together officers from Palo Alto police; the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department; the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force; the U.S. Attorney's Office; the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and U.S. Immigrations and Customs.
In the course of serving 20 search warrants, agents seized 6.1 pounds of crack cocaine, 3.8 pounds of powdered cocaine, 2.7 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, five vehicles, 18 firearms and $129,113 in cash, authorities said. Those arrested may face anywhere from 10 years to life sentences in prison, according to DEA Special Agent Javier Pena.
San Mateo County Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson said the work of restoring peace and safety to East Palo Alto will require community action beyond law enforcement.
Gibson, whose district includes East Palo Alto, said community activists are working to combat the roots of violence and "ensure that children and families have the safety they need to walk their streets and play in their front yards."
Sweep of gangs nets 45 arrests
A crackdown on organized drug gangs that law enforcement officials believe are responsible for a wave of violence in East Palo Alto has resulted in 45 arrests and the seizure of $500,000 worth of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, officials said Thursday.
Police are searching for an additional 11 suspects connected with the case.
Spurred by a rising tide of violence in East Palo Alto, which has seen 13 killings since January, local officials teamed up with an array of federal law enforcement agencies to focus on drug gangs that have taken over local parks and streets -- and terrified East Palo Alto residents.
Most of the arrests took place during the past two weeks, according to San Mateo County Sheriff Don Horsley, but one suspect was apprehended shortly after officials announced the results of the crackdown. Officers said Steven Williams, 33, of East Palo Alto was in possession of a 9mm Glock pistol when he was arrested Thursday afternoon and held on suspicion of cocaine distribution.
"Our message to the community, and to the criminals not caught up in this particular operation, is that this is not the end -- this is just the beginning," East Palo Alto Mayor David Woods said at a morning news conference in Redwood City. "We will rid the city of this element, at all costs."
Horsley said the arrests have removed "some really significant criminals" from the streets, including Tarnishia Paul, 33, of East Palo Alto, an alleged master of disguises who officials suspect has been involved in at least eight bank robberies in the Bay Area.
The suspects in custody have allegedly been linked to seven separate criminal gangs, officials said, but it is unclear whether those gangs were working in concert, engaging in turf wars, or perhaps a combination of both scenarios.
None of the 45 suspects has been charged with homicide, but officials are investigating possible links to killings in East Palo Alto and beyond. The investigation uncovered links between the East Palo Alto gangs and criminal activity in Modesto and the East Bay, officials said.
Firearms seized during the arrests will be tested at the county's crime lab to see whether they can be linked to shootings throughout California, Horsley said.
Ron Davis, East Palo Alto's police chief, said the city acted on lessons learned in the early 1990s, when gang warfare and 42 homicides in one year made the town the per-capita slaying capital of the United States. Those lessons included asking for help from federal agencies before local crime spiraled out of control.
"We made promises at that time that we would never let the violence rise as high as it was in the '90s," Davis said.
Local officials sought help from federal agencies in March, Davis said. At that time, the city had experienced four homicides, but authorities could tell that gang violence was on the rise.
The resulting collaboration with the Mobile Enforcement Team -- a special group of agents within the federal Drug Enforcement Administration -- brought together officers from Palo Alto police; the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department; the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force; the U.S. Attorney's Office; the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and U.S. Immigrations and Customs.
In the course of serving 20 search warrants, agents seized 6.1 pounds of crack cocaine, 3.8 pounds of powdered cocaine, 2.7 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, five vehicles, 18 firearms and $129,113 in cash, authorities said. Those arrested may face anywhere from 10 years to life sentences in prison, according to DEA Special Agent Javier Pena.
San Mateo County Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson said the work of restoring peace and safety to East Palo Alto will require community action beyond law enforcement.
Gibson, whose district includes East Palo Alto, said community activists are working to combat the roots of violence and "ensure that children and families have the safety they need to walk their streets and play in their front yards."
