Thread: Bills target street gangs-118 machete cases in Fairfax

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Bills target street gangs


By KAFIA HOSH
khosh@potomacnews.com
Thursday, January 19, 2006


Prince William County lawmakers are trying to crackdown on gang violence by proposing bills that will make it easier to charge gang members with crimes.

Senators James K. "Jay" O'Brien, R-39 District, and Linda T. "Toddy" Puller, D-36th District, each presented a bill to help curb gang activity in Northern Virginia during the Senate Courts of Justice Committee meeting Wednesday.

O'Brien's bill would add the crimes of grand larceny and carrying a concealed weapon to the list of violations defined as a "predicate criminal act" that would mean longer sentences.

The senator noted that these two crimes are committed often by gang members in Prince William County.

The bill is "to speak to the benefit of this act in fighting street gang crime," O'Brien said.

There were 15 gang-related cases of stolen vehicles in Prince William County, said Dana Fenton, the director of legislative affairs for the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

If SB136 is signed into law, criminals convicted of grand larceny and carrying a concealed weapon will face additional charges and longer prison sentences.

"It keeps the gang members off the street," said Fenton, who also spoke on behalf of O'Brien's bill during the committee meeting.

The committee decided to report SB136 for further deliberation. The bill was also re-referred to the Senate Finance Committee to assess its fiscal impact, which was estimated at $193,000.

During the Courts of Justice Committee meeting, Puller also introduced a bill that will thwart gang-related crimes.

Puller's bill would make it illegal to brandish a machete in a threatening manner.

"We in Fairfax have had an increase of gang-related crimes using a machete," Puller said.

In 2004, the General Assembly passed legislation adding machetes to the list of weapons illegal to carry.

"We've already done some kind of work on machetes," Puller said.

A number of machete attacks in Northern Virginia were allegedly committed by members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as MS-13.

In 2004, two MS-13 gang members in Fairfax County were sentenced to 15 years in prison for using a machete to attack a rival gang member.

Last year, two other MS-13 members were convicted in the county for slicing off a 24-year-old man's fingers with a machete.

At the committee meeting, Fairfax County police officers speaking in support of Puller's bill noted that a machete, which is 2-feet long and has a single-edged blade, is a signature weapon used by some gangs.

"It is by far a weapon of choice," said Maj. Frank Wernlein of the Fairfax County Police department. "It is a weapon that is used very effectively."

The officers argued that machete attacks by gangs are intended to send a message to other rival groups.

"It's just a devastating type of statement," Wernlein said.

The machete bill will help codify the violation of brandishing a machete, and enable law enforcement to enforce penalties at schools, the officer said.

There were 118 machete cases in Fairfax County, noted Sgt. Mike Barbazette of the Fairfax County Police gang unit.

The machete bill is necessary to eliminate the weapon as a method for gangs who want to leave their mark, Barbazette said.

"The more laws we have on the books, we'll be able to eradicate that type of symbol," he said.

Despite the police officer's testimony, the committee decided to hold off on the bill for deliberation.

Despite the police officer's testimony, the committee decided to hold off on the bill for deliberation.
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How wonderful it must be to have yourself and your family insulated against such violence. No rush to protect the people...and surely don't hurry to deport these illegal gang members before they hurt someone else.

AAAARRRRRGGHHHHHH

RR