Bryan Police and Brazos County Prosecutors are cracking down on criminal street gangs with the last of five Latin Kings gang members being sentenced to prison last week for their role in a Mother's Day 2010 killing.
Gang violence is dropping but hundreds of various gang members are believed to be here.
Being part of a gang can mean jail time in lots of ways. Bryan Sergeant Steven Spillars tells us six gangs are the most active here.
"Usually we have graffiti from them just promoting themselves but the assaults and narcotics activity are the majority of what we have issues with," said Steven Spillars, with the Criminal Intelligence Unit.
Jose Castillo was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday for engaging in organized criminal activity.
He's the last of five Latin Kings gang members convicted in relation to the Mother's Day 2010 murder of high school student Christopher Hutchson.
The number 2 leader was also arrested last month for illegal immigration.
The Latin Kings are considered the most violent gang in Brazos County responsible for 45 shootings between 2007 and 2010 as well as 15 aggravated assaults every year.
"I think that criminal street gangs in general pose a menacing risk," said
Brazos County Prosecutor Jarvis Parsons.
Parsons says in the last four years around 30 gang members have been convicted of criminal activities. Gang injunction zones appear to be working too giving police the tools to make arrests in safety zones, parks, and places gangs gather.
"Hopefully we can get them to keep moving out of this area by making sure we do everything we can to prosecute those offenders," said Parsons.
"We always keep it in the forefront and keep an eye on it and continue to work on it every day," added Sergeant Steven Spillars.
Work that never ends long as gangs have a presence on our streets.
Brazos County Prosecutor Jarvis Parsons tells us the most active cases they've seen in recent years involve the Latin Kings, Surenos and Vatos Locos gangs.
Gang members caught gathering in gang injunction zones can face up to a year in jail for the misdemeanor crime.
