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Amanda Butterfield reportingLaw enforcement from around the state are in town to talk about one topic: gangs.
Gangs first became recognized as a problem in Utah in the early ‘90s. Since then, a gang conference has helped unify efforts to battle the gang problem. One city has had a lot of success doing that.
Only about two years ago, West Valley City was run by members of the Tiny Oriental Posse (TOP). "The Tiny Oriental Posse is a Southeast Asia street gang that has been present in the Salt Lake area for at least the last 10 years," explained West Valley Police detective Trudy Cropper.
It was a violent gang, always putting citizens at risk. "They have been responsible for a variety of crimes, homicides, home invasions," Cropper said.
A woman called police after she found three men breaking into her house. One of those men was one of the ring leaders of TOP, William Mathipannha, and he was arrested.
For two years, West Valley detectives have worked to get Mathipannha and the other members behind bars. Their work has paid off. "Our crime rate with them has basically stopped," Cropper says. "It feels good to get these guys off the street."
That's the goal of the Utah Gang Conference, to get gang members off the streets. Here detectives, officers, deputies, even former gang members come to share their information about gangs in Utah.
The conference is in part hosted by the Salt Lake Area Gang Project, and there has been a change in gang activity lately. "One of the bigger issues is that gang violence has continued through the winter, generally that tends to drop of a little bit," said Lt. Steve Anjewierden, with the Salt Lake Area Gang Project.
Today, groups are trying to figure out why. They're also learning the latest in graffiti: how to prevent it and how to catch taggers.
"You're able to come and learn about what's going on now on the streets," Anjewierden said.
Cropper says the conference is helpful. She can share her methods with other detectives and learn from them, too. She also says they've got to keep sharp because, unlike the TOP, most gangs in Utah aren't going anywhere.
William Mathipannha and about 15 of the other TOP members are now awaiting sentencing on several state and federal crimes. The members will be split up in federal prisons across the country.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
