San Jose Police Department Fighting Gang Violence With ICE

Beginning this week, two full-time Department of Homeland Security investigators will be working with the San Jose Police Department as part of a national gang task force project called Operation Community Shield, reports Univision.

According to its website, the task force “develops a comprehensive and integrated approach in conducting criminal investigations and other law enforcement operations against violent street gangs and others who pose a threat to public safety.”

Since the program’s inception in 2005, 24,000 arrests have been made in gang-related activity nationwide, Univision reports.

And San Jose police say the city is especially at risk of increased gang violence.

Sgt. Jason Dwyer of the San Jose Police Department's media relations department told New America Media that since the beginning of this year, San Jose has seen 25 homicides, and 14 of them were gang related. He said that there about 100 known gangs operating in the city, with a total of around 6,500 members.