Howard County police have noticed an increase in gang-related activity ? especially among members of the notorious MS-13 ? popping up within county lines.
To help address the proliferation, eight Howard County officers are expected to attend the first Maryland Gang Summit, which organizers said will provide a comprehensive look at gangs statewide.
The summit is set to feature panel discussions of regional gang problems; national and local models for gang prevention; and resources to combat gangs in Maryland.
Though police said no major gang has claimed turf in the county, officers have noticed more activity from MS-13 as its members travel through the county from Washington to Baltimore.
Residents first began expressing concerns about the gang?s presence in the county to police in 1999. By 2000, local police became aware of MS-13?s activities in Northern Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George?s counties.
Since 2001, police have documented 57 incidents and identified 55 MS-13 members who have been arrested for or involved in crimes that include rape, robbery and assault, and have documented the gang?s activity and graffiti in Savage, Elkridge, Columbia and Ellicott City.
Recently, Howard County gave its Officer of the Year award to Pfc. Kelly Smith, a member of multi-jurisdictional task force that tracks and arrests gang members, who has become a recognized gang expert and last year testified before Congress on Howard County?s gang situation.
Smith told a House of Representatives committee investigating Hispanic gangs that some new immigrants were turning to crime.
“As we have seen with many other immigrant communities, a small element of the population turns to criminal activity,” Smith said. “Often they start out by preying on members of their own community. Much of this crime goes unreported.”
