Hispanic gang violence on the rise in Montgomery, police chief says
By: Alan Suderman
Examiner Staff Writer
March 20, 2009
 |
| (Examiner File) |
Montgomery County is experiencing an increase in violence among notorious Hispanic street gangs, including MS-13 and the Latin Kings, the county’s chief of police said Thursday.
Chief J. Thomas Manger said there was no apparent reason why gangs were targeting other gangs, apart from their mutual hatred of each other.
“The only reason they need is to be in a different gang,” Manger said after a Montgomery County Council Public Safety Committee meeting.
Manger said a recent stabbing in Aspen Hill highlighted the “totally random” nature of gang violence in the county.
Police have charged two teens in connection with the March 11 stabbing of a 20-year-old Silver Spring man, who Manger said was in extremely grave condition.
“[The teens] were walking by, gang signs were exchanged, and it ended up being a stabbing,” Manger said. “It was a chance encounter.”
Brad Botwin, founder of the anti-illegal immigration group Help Save Maryland, said it was no surprise to learn that gang-related violence was increasing in the county.
“What a shock, I’m falling out of my chair,” Botwin said.
Botwin said Manger and the county’s elected officials had made the county so inviting to illegal immigrants that it was an attractive place for violent gang members as well.
An alleged MS-13 gang member and illegal immigrant is accused of shooting up a Montgomery County bus in November, killing a 14-year-old honor student. The incident drew outrage from anti-illegal immigration groups and contributed, in part, to a new county policy that directs police to forward the names of people charged with violent crimes to federal immigration authorities.
Manger said he didn’t know how many Hispanic gang members were illegal immigrants, but that the new policy would prevent illegal immigrant gang members who commit violent crimes from being able “to go back on the street, hopefully.”
“We still haven’t secured our borders,” Manger said. “Somebody gets deported, how long does it take them to get back? … Not long.”
Manger said the larger Hispanic gangs “are all over the county,” but the majority of gang activity occurs in Wheaton and Silver Spring.
There are about 40 active gangs in Montgomery County with 1,150 members, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Asked by Council President Phil Andrews what the police were doing to target those crimes, Manger said his department had “some very specific operations” to combat gang-related robberies but said he didn’t want to give details in a public meeting.
