More than two dozen officers make up the IMPACT Division of
the Sacramento Sheriff's Department. Captain Eric Manus
says they are identifying the most active gang members first and
arresting them.
MANUS: "We're not out blindly seeking people. We
know exactly where we're going. We know who's committing the
crime. We know exactly what we're doing on a day-to-day
basis. "
Sheriff Scott Jones says the approach has already proven
effective with 124 arrests, 112 guns seized and no gang-related
homicides in the County this year. The Sheriff is hoping to
expand the program's reach.
JONES: "In this region, I'm already establishing
relationships with those outside of our county geographical
boundary to see if we can enhance and augment these
forces."
The City of Sacramento is not contributing officers due to
budget constraints, but the IMPACT officers have been granted
permission to operate within the city limits.
For the first time, the department is going into communities
and engaging in coordinated gang-prevention efforts.
