NBC 6 Reporter Stephanie Bertini rode along with a Miami-Dade Police Lieutenant as they work to crack down on gang violence in South Florida.
What to Know
- Several people were arrested Thursday night for allegedly participating in gang activity.
- Many of the people arrested were believed to be minors.
- Miami-Dade Police are leading an undercover gang operation to crack down on gang violence,
NBC 6 got an exclusive look at how police are cracking down on gangs in Northwest Miami-Dade.
Lieutenant Fernand Charles is leading an undercover gang operation in Northwest Miami-Dade.
In the Sugar Hill Community, police arrested two people and had guns taken off the streets.
“If one of these guns are stolen, it could lead to information on a case,” said Lt. Charles.
Shootings are a big problem in Northwest Miami-Dade. Police said they need to make their presence known in order to crack cases.
“We try to identify people that are committing these crimes and shootings,” said Lt. Charles.
Local
In Lincoln Fields, gang culture is strong and innocent people watch bullets fly – many of them are children.
“I try my best to make it a safer place for the kids so they don’t have to hear gunshots” said Lt. Charles.
Police know all too often the kids are the ones pulling the trigger – a reminder of that at the Annie Coleman apartments.
While NBC 6 was filming a story there Thursday night, investigators told reporter Stephanie Bertini that they found guns in the hands of known gangsters. They couldn’t be identified in a story because they are minors.
This is the largest undercover gang operation in Northwest Miami-Dade this year, but it’s not the first one. Although it’s only January, investigators say there have been more than 20 shootings in the area since the first day of 2018.
“The numbers may be scary, but the officers on the front lines are determined,” said Lt. Charles.
“It’s not a job, it’s a calling. We do it because we want peace on these neighborhoods, where there’s terror on a monthly basis,” said Lt. Charles.
