SALT LAKE CITY — As Unified Police detective Nate Clark checks under the seats and in the side door pockets of a vehicle he has just pulled over, he comes across a plastic bag containing a small amount of a white, crystal-like substance.

"10-82," he stands up and orders to other officers while pointing to the man who was in the passenger seat of the vehicle when it was pulled over. Immediately the man has his hands handcuffed behind his back and he is placed under arrest.

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A quick field test of the substance confirms what Clark suspected — the material in the baggy is methamphetamine. In addition, the man, who says he is no longer an active gang member, is found to have a large pocketknife in his possession and is already on parole for another incident.

For Clark, it's all part of another busy night as a member of the Metro Gang Unit.

Fighting gang activity in Salt Lake County

Since 1990, the Metro Gang Unit has been keeping a handle on all gang-related activities in Salt Lake County. About every day, typically beginning in the late afternoon and going into the early morning hours, members of the gang unit monitor gang activity in the region.

But the gang unit isn't just about responding to crimes, Clark said.

"We don't come out here and just respond to gang problems, that's not what we're about. We're out here to actually put the fear of God into the gang members and stop problems before they actually occur," he said.

The efforts of the gang unit appear to be working.

Overall gang crime, excluding graffiti, was down in 2010, the first decrease since 2006, according to statistics from the Salt Lake Area Gang Project. But the number of crimes was still at its second highest point since 2003.

Homicides, simple and aggravated assaults, stolen vehicles, and drive-by shootings were all down in 2010 from the previous year. But robbery, burglary, drugs, family offenses and weapons were all up.

The Metro Gang Unit listed more than 50 active gangs in its region in 2010. Some of those gangs have more than 20 years of history in the valley.

A few of those groups had fewer than 10 documented members in 2010, while the two largest — which also have reputations as being two of the most-active and most-violent gangs — boasted the biggest memberships.

Police and the public can learn more about dealing with gang crime this week as the Salt Lake Area Gang Project hosts their 21st Annual Utah Gang Conference at the South Towne Expo Center begins Thursday. Police officers, educators and community activists from across Utah and other states will gather for two days of workshops and seminars on gangs.

While some classes are geared more toward law enforcement, others strive to educate the public on the basics of gang members in Utah, such as how to identify a possible gang member in the classroom, how gangs are influenced by music and today's pop culture and how the Internet continues to be used to recruit gang members.

The workshops at this year's conference include an in-depth look at the 2007 Trolley Square shootings, an update on gangs from each region of the state and firearms trafficking.

History of Utah gangs

Historically, Utah gangs have not had any turf issues, Clark said, nor are members in Utah loyal to any particular group based on race or cultural background. What gang members seem to be most loyal to is money.

"It doesn't matter what gang you're with. As long as there's an opportunity to make money, it doesn't matter who you associate with or who you collaborate with," he said. "The narcotics world out here, or stolen vehicles, identity theft, check fraud, forgery, aggravated assaults, home invasions … it's all kind of tied together and the gang word is inseparable from it."

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In fact, the allure of money is one of the ways gangs can entice juveniles into joining. And Clark says it's a problem that's not likely to go away anytime soon.

"We will always have a gang problem because we are not going to be able to tell a 19-year-old to go back to high school to finish his diploma and start working at Wendy's for $8 an hour … when they can go out and make $1000 a night … selling drugs, stealing cars, fencing stolen property, identity theft -- it's just never going to happen," he said.

But money isn't the only reason young people join gangs. Some join because they don't fit in anywhere else and want to belong to something. Others see gangs glamorized on TV and like the "status" of being a gang member while others believe a gang lifestyle will provide them with power, drugs, sex and attention.

"I wouldn't even say there's five reasons to get into gangs, I would say there's a hundred, at least. … There's just a million different factors and there's no one way we can pinpoint it. If we could pinpoint it and have the answer, then it's never going to happen," Clark said.

Still, those who belong to gangs many of them have common backgrounds. Many have family members who are gang members. Many of them also have little education and have dropped out of school, Clark said. But he noted there were always exceptions to the rules, such as gang members who join the military or gang members who are educated in computers.

The Utah Attorney General's Office has already made several high profile busts this year of gang members involved in documents mills and pirating CDs and DVDs, which has become a lucrative business.

Out on gang patrol

On a recent Friday night, Clark was on his regular nightly patrol for the gang unit -- though he noted that it was during the weeknights that gang members recently had been most active.

Kids and gangs: Protecting your child

According to the Metro Gang Unit, parents have a lot more power to keep their kids from joining gangs than they may think. CLICK HERE for more information on how to protect your children from gangs.

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Clark spent a lot of time going through the parking lots of apartment complexes and motels looking for stolen vehicles. Typically, a stolen vehicle is the starting point that leads to the discovery of other crimes, sometimes with gang ties, he said.

During a routine traffic stop, he discovered the driver was a former gang member who was sent to prison when he was 16 for committing a robbery with a gun. Today, the former gang member, who asked to remain anonymous for his own safety, has remained clean since being released from prison nearly 10 years ago.

"There ain't no future in it. That ain't payin' my bills, that's for sure," he said. "It's not about luck, it's about tryin.' If you don't try, it ain't gonna happen. I found that out the hard way. All these guys tried to lead me to my grave basically," he said.

MORE INFO:

Metro Gang Unit resources

The Metro Gang Unit's website contains more information on the various gangs in the Salt Lake area, aid for those trying to leave the gang lifestyle, and tips for parents on how to keep their children out of gangs.

During another traffic stop, several people were found to have current or former gang ties. One heavily tattooed man was found to have outstanding warrants and was taken into custody after a police K-9 was called in to check the vehicle for drugs. The dog seems to "hit" on one area of the car, but no drugs were found.

Just before midnight, another car that was not obeying traffic rules, and had occupants who were acting suspiciously, was pulled over in Midvale. The vehicle went behind a house in a large and dark driveway with several vehicles. Clark followed, turned on his red and blue lights and, not knowing what to expect, drew his gun as he ordered the occupants to stop shuffling about and show their hands.

Two men got out. One had gang ties but claims he is no longer an active gang member. As Clark investigated, backup officers arrived They discovered the driver of the vehicle had no license or insurance. Then as Clark searched the vehicle, he found a small baggie of meth. He got a field test kit from the back of his car and took a small sample of the suspected drugs. The test kit turned blue, a positive sign of meth.

The car's owner — the driver's girlfriend — arrived at the scene asking what's going on and wanting her car back. But she didn't have a valid license either. The car was impounded and the man who had the meth was told to expect a summons to appear in court.

Email:preavy@ksl.com

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