Twelve felony arrests were been made Friday night. Ten of those people were gang members.
More than 100 officers and deputies were out looking for probation and parole violations, as well as drugs and weapons, as the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) began a month-long crackdown on violence. The MAGEC team is made up of several Valley police and sheriff's departments.
"We're going to be making their life miserable over the next 30 days, in a very legal and professional way," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
Chief Dyer says Bulldog gang members are getting more violent -- so the MAGEC team spent Friday serving search warrants and doing probation and parole checks. "Under a unified command, we are going after Bulldog gang members with a vengeance."
In one instance, armed and ready for whatever might come their way, officers said they searched the home of a validated Bulldog gang member. Their search warrant was for narcotics and weapons. A man and woman inside the apartment were detained and questioned.
Officers say they did not find any drugs or weapons in the home, and the two people were later released.
Maggie Eastman says she has witnessed more gang and police activity around her home lately. "The neighborhood has gotten bad. When I first moved here, it was quiet."
Lt. Jose Garza coordinates many of these gang sweeps. He told Action News that local and federal prosecutors also ride along to help sort through the charges these suspected criminals may face. "They determine if the person gets more time, if it's with the state than we go with state. If it's federal then we go with federal, it's a good relationship to have."
Because of that relationship, police say in the last year more than 50 people have been indicted with federal crimes. Police also say even though this sweep is targeting the Bulldog gang, other gangs will not be ignored.
