Gang Investigation Detail
916.875.8811
E-mail Gang Unit

Mission:
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department created the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) in 1990.  Since that time, the GSU has been restructured several times, however, the goals of the unit remain unchanged.  The GSU is tasked with the responsibility of being a central repository for gathering and maintaining all gang intelligence collected from officers throughout the Department and for utilizing this information to present expert testimony in court.

The GSU operates as a criminal intelligence unit, assisting other investigators, divisions and law enforcement agencies by providing up-to-date information on gang activity, and by co llecting and sharing intelligence information from other Sacramento Sheriff's Department Divisions and outside agencies.  The GSU provides a regular summary of gang activities throughout the County of Sacramento and provides a course of instruction for law enforcement officers and the community on the subject of gangs.

GSU is responsible for tracking and investigating all gang-related crimes in the County and for validating gangs, gang members and their associates.  By using a proactive approach to gang enforcement, GSU monitors and targets gang activity for identification and suppression.

Toll Free Lines for Reporting Gang Activity
The Sacramento County Sheriff Department has activated three multi-lingual toll free lines for reporting gang activity in the Sacramento county area. This includes communities in Sacramento City, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights and Folsom.

The Sheriff’s toll free GANG numbers are:

• 888-803-GANG (English)
• 888-873-GANG (Spanish)
• 800-955-GANG (Hmong)

The toll free numbers are non-emergency numbers and are not continuously monitored by a Sheriff officer. Callers will be instructed that if their situation is an emergency, they are to hang up and dial 911 for assistance. Following that message the callers will then be given the option to either leave their information anonymously or leave a call back number if they wish to speak to an officer.

English, Spanish and Hmong languages were selected based on the significant volume of reported youth gang violence within those particular communities. The Sheriff’s department hopes to receive information from citizens who are being victimized by gangs and/or gang activity.

All of the calls received on the toll free numbers will be reviewed by a designated Gang Detective and the Gang Unit Supervisor. Information received that pertains to other jurisdictions will be forwarded as soon as possible.

Publications:
Gangs: A Community Response
Pandillas: La Comunidad Responde (En Español)
Courtesy of the California Attorney General's Crime and Violence Prevention Center