Located about 15 miles south of San Jose, the sleepy town of Gilroy is known mainly for its garlic. But after a massive police sweep last week, it may soon be known best for its tough stance on crime.
Late last week, local and state law enforcement agencies, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, announced the results of a Gilroy-area anti-gang crackdown dubbed "Operation Garlic Press," which netted more than 100 arrests.
San Leandro Patch reported the operation was an outgrowth of an investigation into a rash of car thefts in the area. It spread into neighboring cities and counties as investigators realized, while criminals were committing their offenses within Gilroy city limits, many of them were actually based elsewhere.
"After noticing an increase in crime, Gilroy officials asked for help in dismantling a gang network that had set up shop in their town," said California Attorney General Kamala Harris. "DOJ agents are uniquely suited to perform the undercover work vital to building complex, multi-jurisdictional cases like this one. This community is safer because of their hard work and their partnerships with federal and local law enforcement."
Undercover officers purchased everything from drugs and illegal firearms to stolen automobiles from gang members. The operation netted a hefty haul for law enforcement—more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine, 28.5 grams of heroin, 4 ounces of cocaine, 34 ecstasy tablets, 10 oxycontin pills, 44 firearms, 81 stolen vehicles and stolen property.
In the planning stages for more than 16 months, the operation kicked off its massive sweep of arrests last Wednesday. Over the next three days, more than 400 officers from 23 different law enforcement participated in the action.
Because Gilroy is a small town—its population is approximately 50,000—the efforts had be kept secret, [Gilroy Police Department Chief Denise] Turner said.
"Word gets around fast," she said, adding that criminals sometimes use smart phones or police scanners as "counter-surveillance" and a means of avoiding law enforcement.
Harris noted that most of the individuals arrested had prior convictions.
The primary gang targeted in the crackdown was Nuestra Familia, a Northern California Chicano gang started in state prisons in the late 1960s. By some estimates, the gang's total membership stands somewhere near 40,000.