Jan 23, 2008 2:12 pm US/Eastern
Not In Our 'Hood: Florida Gets Tough On Gangs
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ―
Florida's top cop and leaders in the state legislature have joined forces to battle a growing gang problem.
The tough new anti-gang legislation, sponsored by Senator Jeff Atwater from North Palm Beach in the Senate and Congressman Bill Snyder from Stuart in the state's House increases the penalties for convicted criminal gang members who fail to register with local law enforcement agencies upon release from prison and broadens the definition of criminal gangs to include terrorist organizations and hate groups.
"We are making it an absolute priority to combat criminal gangs in our state," said Attorney General McCollum. "This legislation will provide essential tools to law enforcement and prosecutors as they lead our state in this effort."
The House version provides harsher penalties for gang ringleaders and restricts felons and delinquents from possessing bullet-proof vests. It also increases penalties for habitual offenders convicted of gang-related crimes. Under terms of the bill, a person convicted of a gang-related offense will now have their driver's license suspended and there will be harsh penalties for possession of fraudulent identification documents for gang activity.
"Florida has a growing gang problem, and the time to do something about it is now," said Representative Snyder. "Our law enforcement leaders tell us they need this legislation to effectively combat this threat to our state."
The House bill also protects witnesses through increased penalties for witness tampering.
Additionally, the bill encourages the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to use and maintain the criminal gang database, which is accessible for local law enforcement. It also creates the Drug Control Strategy and Criminal Gang Committee within the Florida Violent Crime and Drug Control Council.
According to the 18th Statewide Grand Jury Interim Report, published earlier this month, not only has the number of gangs and gang membership increased in Florida, but also the number of violent crimes committed by gangs. The report also states that gang members are joining the military and law enforcement agencies to pursue advanced weapons and medical training. Another finding is that gang communications has moved beyond graffiti on warehouse walls; MySpace and other social networking sites are being used to boast about their activities and to recruit new members.
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