IN 2007, then-Metro Police Chief Michael Berkow launched the largest police assault on local criminal gangs in recent memory.
It was called “Operation Raging Waters.”
It was named after an area along Waters Avenue where some of Savannah’s gang-related activity was centered.
After hearing what Metro Police Chief Willie Lovett said Thursday about current gang problems, it may be time for more “rage” — with an assist from District Attorney-elect Meg Heap who takes office in January.
The chief met with reporters to give an update on recent violence, including the shooting of eight innocent people Nov. 3 at the Coastal Empire Fairground. Three young men are in custody in connection with that violence. Three more are sought.
On Thursday, the chief linked the fairground shootings to the Sept. 2 death of 19-year-old Tiyates Lamont Franklin, who was gunned down near River Street on Labor Day weekend. Apparently, the gunfire at the fairground was related to Franklin’s slaying and the rivalry between two gangs — one based in Tatemville, a neighborhood just west of Montgomery Street and north of DeRenne Avenue, and one from “the Hellhole,” an area located further north on Montgomery near West 54th Street.
“We do have a gang problem,” the chief said, something that has been obvious in Savannah for some time. He added that “if we don’t do something to curb their activity, then we’ll be the same as California and other places.”
The chief and the police department’s budget have been under the microscope at City Hall, where Mayor Edna Jackson and City Council must approve the city’s 2013 spending plan by the end of this year.
Whether elected officials decide to give the police department additional funds for crime-fighting next year is a political decision. But the chief can’t rely on politicians, especially those who talk tough about crime but are reluctant to put the public’s money where their mouths are.
The department’s investigators deserve credit for the work they’ve done in identifying the suspects in the fairground shootings and trying to bring them to justice. Indeed, such a full-court press should be constant when it comes to gangs. It must not be a one-time thing.
Also, it’s time that gang members be charged and prosecuted in Chatham County under Georgia’s gang statute, which comes with tougher penalties. That might deter some of the violence and reduce bloodshed.
Certainly, there’s more to reducing gang violence than simply locking people up. Gangs are symptoms of social problems, including a dysfunctional family life. They must be attacked on several fronts.
However, when innocent fairgoers are caught in the crossfire, police must fight back. The same goes when a pattern of violent behavior destroys neighborhoods and raises the death toll.
Such was the case in 2007, when police aggressively moved against three gangs that claimed at least six lives and injured another 20 people. Those gangs were identified as the Gwinnett Street Posse, the Waters Avenue Crew and the Hitch Village Posse/Hitch Village Committee. They were believed to be responsible for at least 20 percent of the city’s violence over a 12-month period.
“This is not a one-shot deal,” District Attorney Lawton said at that time. “We’ve seen enough of those in days gone by. It’s no longer business as usual.”
Obviously, “Raging Waters” didn’t put an end to gang-related violence. But it did get several dozen gang members off the street. That’s progress.
Such “rage” against gang activity must continue. Mayor Jackson and City Council must make sure Chief Lovett has the tools he needs to do the job.