Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office

Over last few months, there have been a number of high-profile crimes committed by gangs in Salt Lake Valley.  These events have brought a renewed attention to the threat gangs pose to our community.  Gang culture is one of violence and vengeance disguised as respect and comaraderie.  Often times, members join gangs at a very early age; and once one joins, one finds it difficult to leave that life behind.  With the existence of a wide variety of organizations and purposes, gang members commit a litany of crimes ranging from drug use and distribution to robbery, aggravated assault, and murder.  Part of that criminal behavior is an initiation into a familial brotherhood that can perpetrate violence against those who contest their will or may wish to leave gang culture behind.  In their search for money, power, and respect, gang members are committed to living a lifestyle of crime that threatens our community.

To combat this lifestyle, the DA’s Gang Team has developed prosecution techniques that do more than just hold gang members accountable for the crimes they commit.  Working with various other agencies in the County, gang prosecutors have developed a system of prosecution that tracks gang members throughout the criminal justice process, from arrest to prosecution and sentencing, to time served and release.  The Gang Team also works with juvenile prosecutors in tracking gang affiliated serious youth offenders as they move from the juvenile to adult systems.  As a result, the DA’s Office gains a better understanding of the extent and effect of the gang problems in Salt Lake County.

The Future Of Gang Prosecution

Even with all the Gang Team does there is room to improve the way our community combats gangs.  Throughout the community, there are a number of organizations that work to combat gangs with varying degrees of coordination and success.  In contrast to the current climate, DA Miller envisions a comprehensive, community-based approach to combating gangs.  As co-chair of Governor Huntsman’s Gang Task Force, she is working with many local, county, and state leaders toward the creation of a foundation that will bring together all the stakeholders in assessing the threat gangs pose to our community, creating a comprehensive plan of action, and implementing that plan.  As a vocal leaders advocating change, DA Miller and the office’s Gang Team prosecutors are proactively working to not only punish gang activity, but to prevent it.