Street Crimes Unit: “If you’re going to come set up shop…we’re coming after you”

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Six months ago, the Fargo Police Department joined forces with several other departments to start a street crimes unit.

It was started to combat the growing gang problem in the metro.

KVRR’s Bianca Buono caught up with the unit to find out what they’ve been working on.
 
Six months ago, the Fargo Police Department said the metro is at a tipping point.

They saw an increase in gang activity and predicted more criminal activity to come.

They were right.
 
“To see the number of armed robberies, to see the number of people getting shot, to see two officer involved shootings in a matter of months that really is concerning and that really wakes people up,” says Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney.
 
That’s why six officers from several different law enforcement departments teamed up to stop gangs from taking over the community.
 
“Before the creation of this unit we would have a very long period of time where we would attempt to identify these people and in the meantime they would probably leave the community,” Lt. Ross Renner of the Fargo Police Department.
 
Lt. Renner commands the street crimes unit and has been able to link several incidents to local gangs.
 
“We had a pretty severe assault related to Latin Kings,” Lt. Renner says.
 
He’s talking about 31-year-old Alberto Cuellar, a member of a gang called the Latin Kings and was arrested after holding fellow gang member hostage, beating, and burning him.
 
“There’s always new players coming in and then the old players are going to jail, going to prison, had enough, moved away so we just got to stay on top of it,” explains Sheriff Laney.
 
Other major gangs in the metro include the Lic Squad, Fast Money Boys and the Squad 400 Boys.

But police have also raised concerns about outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Sons of Silence have made Fargo home and there may be others on their way.

But this isn’t news to law enforcement.
 
“We’re very aware of activities and we’re getting ourselves inserted into that and we’re probably not real popular with a lot of them right now,” Sheriff Laney says.
 
And Sheriff Laney doesn’t care about being popular.

He and the Street Crimes Unit are doing whatever it takes to stop criminals, no matter who they are.
 
“We don’t target people based on color, creed, we don’t care who they are. We care about their behavior and if you’re going to come set up shop in our metro area to do criminal activity, then we’re coming after you,” says Sheriff Laney.
 
Throughout the past six months, the unit has been working diligently with all other departments to get to know each and every gang member in the area.
 
“You can’t really go anywhere around here and we’re not going to know who you are. Our people are going to know who you are. And like we’ve said from day one, if you don’t want our street crimes unit in your face don’t be a criminal,” says Laney.
 
And although crimes are still happening, they consider the unit to be wildly successful thus far and at the end of the day, our community has changed.
 
“Our community has grown big enough now that you always have to be concerned. You know you always lock your doors. We’re not rural Fargo Moorhead 25 years ago,” says Laney.
 
Law enforcement officials still consider the metro to be an overall safe place to live.

Sheriff Laney attributes some of the unit’s success to the strong relationship they have with the public.