Sheriff Mark Curran is pleased to announce the 2017 success of the Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force. The Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force was created in mid-2015 and is extremely active throughout Lake County. The group is responsible to combat, prevent, and interdict criminal gang activity in Lake County. The areas of enforcement include but are not limited to narcotics, human trafficking, gun trafficking, and money laundering, all of which are a means to further gang activity.
Education is a significant responsibility of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Gang Task Force. Task force members deliver presentations to school students, teachers, parents, professionals, community leaders, and community groups to provide education on the warning signs and indicators of drug and/or gang activity.
In 2017, members of the Sheriff’s Gang Task Force opened over 200 criminal cases which resulted in nearly 150 arrests. The arrests resulted in the following drug/gun seizures:
Guns: 18
Cannabis: 57 pounds (street value $522,956.00)
Cocaine: 1,540 grams (street value $153,930.00)
Crack Cocaine: 189 grams (street value $18,900.00)
MDMA: 14 pills (street value $280.00)
Heroin: 41.5 grams (street value: $4,980.00)
Methamphetamine: 4 grams (street value $80.00)
Prescription Pills: 3,008 (street value $60,160.00)
Sheriff Mark Curran said, “The Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force is making a huge impact removing drugs and gang members from our communities. Drug dealers don’t care about jurisdictional boundaries and are present in every Lake County community. The Gang Task Force tracks dealers regardless of where they choose to sell their poisons. I’m extremely proud of our unit seizing over $750,000.00 worth of illegal drugs and taking 18 illegally possessed firearms out of the hands of criminals.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force is run by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and includes the following partnering agencies: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations
(HSI), Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Grayslake Police Department, Lake Villa Police Department, Mundelein Police Department, and Wauconda Police Department.
During a recent meeting at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Chicago Field Division – reaffirmed their commitment of personnel and resources to the Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force for the years to come.
“Shared values, shared resources, and a commitment to keeping Lake County safe can be best achieved through our partnerships with federal, state, local police departments, along with community support. I appreciate the ATF’s continuing participation in the Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force,” added Sheriff Curran.
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