I can't believe that they actaully told the truth about the gang problem being partly due to illegal immigration. Finally someone beside the police department gang unit staff actually admitted it and it was published. Now if they only acted upon it. It does not say anywhere about enforcing our immigration laws and deporting them.
Go on the link and look at the mug shot pictures and names. That says it all. There are some interesting comments as well but I cannot post them as I feel some are inappropriate.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 7665.story

Get tougher on gangs in Florida, grand jury urges
Panel recommends more money, changes in the law

By Linda Kleindienst and John Holland | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
January 16, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - A surge in violent crime across Florida is the direct result of increased gang activity that should be battled with more state dollars and tougher prosecution, according to an interim report from a statewide grand jury.

While painting a sordid picture of how gangs operate in Florida, using assault weapons and fists to intimidate, the 56-page report delivered to the state Supreme Court on Tuesday said gangs are growing at an "increasingly alarming" rate, and placed much of the blame on illegal immigration.

"Although gang violence is often 'homegrown,' there is no doubt in our minds that much of our gang problem has been imported through illegal immigration," said the report, which based the finding on testimony the grand jury heard from witnesses.

The high court impaneled the 18-member grand jury last June at the request of Gov. Charlie Crist to investigate a spike in gang activity in Florida, particularly the southern counties.

The grand jury found that gangs are using the Internet, particularly MySpace and other social networking sites, to recruit new members and are trying to infiltrate the military and law enforcement academies to get advanced weapons training. The report also points out that the gangs are branching out into white collar crimes such as identity theft and fraud.

Attorney General Bill McCollum said Florida is facing what is likely the nation's fastest-growing gang problem, with at least 1,500 gangs with more than 65,000 members.

"Florida has a major gang problem," McCollum said during a news conference at which he unveiled the report. "Over the last 20 to 25 years, the national statistics show Florida has probably had the greatest growth of gangs and gang violence of any state in the union."

The grand jury, based in West Palm Beach, in mid-December indicted 10 reputed members of a dangerous statewide gang that has taken root in Westgate, a neighborhood west of West Palm Beach.

In a letter to Crist that accompanied the report, Statewide Prosecutor Bill Shepherd emphasized that increased enforcement tools and long-term joint investigations are critical to stemming the tide of gang-related violence.

"They control neighborhoods and oppress our citizens by using violence and threats," he said. "I have spoken to a witness who told me very matter of factly that if his fellow gang members knew he was talking, they would surely kill him in front of his young children."

The grand jury's recommendations include: a better focus on acknowledging and resolving gang problems at all levels of government; stopping automatic pre-trial releases so that accused gang members cannot immediately intimidate witnesses; rewriting the state's gang law, which is restrictive in how it defines a gang member; better sharing of gang information among all state law enforcement agencies; and the hiring of specialized prosecutors and investigators to handle gang-related cases.

Broward County has a long-standing gang task force made up of prosecutors, Broward Sheriff's detectives and local law enforcement agencies