After years of increasing gang violence in Santa Rosa, the police chief on Tuesday confirmed the department’s Gang Crimes Team is being reinstated.
Police say half of the homicides in the city last year were gang related. The department is also blaming gangs for an increase in gun incidents involving teens. According to police, the number of minors arrested for gun possession was up 500% last year compared to 2022.
Santa Rosa Police Chief John Cregan said the plan to bring back the Gang Crimes Team is all about stopping the violence before it starts.
The team was disbanded in 2019 during a severe staffing shortage.
The increase in Santa Rosa gang violence has spilled over into high school campuses, particularly at troubled Montgomery High School. Last week, a girl was arrested for allegedly leading an attack on another student inside a bathroom in the latest violent episode at the school.
Last year, a student was stabbed and killed inside a classroom.