DPSCS Involvement in Gang Identification and Violence Prevention Efforts of MD

Confronting the issue of gang violence requires collaboration with key partners in the law enforcement community. In 2008 theDepartment of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) brought together over 50 law enforcement and criminal justice stakeholders from around the State to tackle Maryland’s growing problem of gang violence. Through this process, we collectively identified four critical problem areas in Maryland’s approach to combating gangs and worked with our statewide partners to identify strategic goals and solutions.

Out of that effort, correction’s Intelligence Coordinating Unit formalized and enhanced its information sharing efforts with local law enforcement and other stakeholders regarding gangs and gang activities. This includes hiring an analyst to design and maintain a gang database through a $216,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention.

In 2008 these intelligence efforts increased our ability to identify and validate gang members by 24%. Corrections regularly shares this information with over 100 agencies, and today the Department is receiving similar intelligence from the state's local correctional and law enforcement agencies.