The Sheriff Department’s Gang Enforcement Team is specifically structured to suppress and prevent gang activity within the Orange County Sheriff Department’s jurisdiction. The team utilizes a multi-pronged approach in combating criminal street gangs. The suppression and enforcement of illegal gang activity is accomplished through pro-actively engaging in street-level enforcement, intelligence gathering, development of gang expertise, and aggressive prosecution. The team also participates in the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (“G.R.I.P.”). GRIP combines the expertise of the Sheriff’s Department, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Orange County Probation Department, local businesses and school districts, to identify at-risk students. GRIP aims to increase school attendance and decrease gang activity within our communities.
Evenly divided between north and south Orange County, the gang team is broken up into two teams. Each team is part of the Tri-Agency Resource / Gang Enforcement Team (T.A.R.G.E.T.), which also includes the Orange County Probation Office and Orange County District Attorney’s Office. This collaborative effort allows the teams to be successful in combating illegal gang activity as well as the reintegration and supervision of gang members into the community.
