Seven people responsible for more than 16 different crimes, with a combined total of over 80 charges, have been apprehended. Winston-Salem police attribute these charges to gang violence.
Police said it took months to track down these seven individuals, five of whom are young kids. They are suspects in a series of gang-related crimes committed throughout the city, starting in May 2023 and continuing through February.
A Winston-Salem gang unit officer said the city has more than 50 gangs, and younger members committing crimes is part of their strategy.
“We prosecute juveniles a lot differently than adults, so a lot of these gangs will strategically recruit young guys who are under the age of 18 to be doing a lot of their violent offenses,” said Adam Prim, WSPD Gang Unit Sgt. “They’ll put the guns in the hands of 16, 15-year-olds knowing they won’t get prosecuted the same way.”
Winston-Salem police said multiple law enforcement agencies and new technology helped them catch these gang members, but the biggest help came from community members who spoke up.
“Ultimately, what it comes down to is community involvement. Citizens are going to see things that we’re not going to see because we’re not there. Having individuals report things, whether it be something suspicious, something that seems out of place, or even an actual crime happening,” said James Gerald, WSPD Sgt. Violent Firearms Investigation Team.
Anti-gun-violence advocates and churches, like Union Baptist, play a significant role. For the past two decades, the church has focused on tackling gun violence and gang prevention. It hosts conferences bringing together the city’s young kids and community leaders to combat gun violence and prevent kids from joining gangs.
“What we have to do as leaders in our community is find our place in that. Are we doing enough? Is the church doing enough outreach? Is the non-profit really being effective in terms of its resources that it receives to reach that child or that community? We need to focus on youth development and youth programs, which requires total community participation. No one agency, no one church, no one program can do it all. Law enforcement exists to protect us, but they can’t do it by themselves,” said Bishop Sir Walter Mack Jr.
Winston-Salem police said most of the time, gangs are targeting each other, but sometimes innocent people get caught in the middle. This is why they are glad to have seven gang members off the streets and behind bars.
Stay connected to local, national, and breaking news: Download the WFMY News 2 app.
►Text the word APP to 336-379-5775
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter, Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.