Despite a rash of shootings the latest statistics show a drop in crime in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Gang shootings surged in Fresno over the past month and police are vowing to get tough on a motorcycle gang that triggered the latest violence. There's also a crackdown on thefts committed by street people.

The latest gang related violence occurred at a motel in West Fresno early Sunday morning, and is connected to the Soul Brothers Motorcycle Club.

"Three people were struck, all three taken to the hospital in a party bus. Fortunate we did not have a lot of other people shot as a result of this incident," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

Nobody was killed but Dyer said officers discovered 110 shots had been fired in this incident, which was triggered by a get together of the Soul Brothers Motorcycle club.

Dyer said their annual gatherings in Fresno attract gang members and have sparked several shootings in recent years-- the Chief vows to crackdown.

"We are going to take a much more aggressive stance on future motorcycle runs that come to Fresno."

The shooting was just among the 55 that have taken place in Fresno over the past 28 days-- nearly all gang related. A total of eight people were killed in those shootings, but Dyer notes four of those deaths were caused by one man, Kori Muhammad.

Muhammad killed a motel security guard on April 13, then three other men on April 18th in what Dyer has described as a possible hate crime against white men. Overall, he noted crime rates in the city are down.

"After two consecutive years of seeing violent crime increases we are starting to see overall violent crime decline, and again down 7.4-percent year to date."

Property crimes were down nearly four-percent, but an increasing number are being blamed on street people and homeless

"A significant number of them are involved in criminal activity, breaking into cars breaking into businesses stealing items," said Dyer.

Capt. Mark Salazar said police are focusing on Chinatown as an area where the stolen items are being fenced, or sold. But Salazar notes overall crime in the downtown area is also down.

"We've seen crime drop in downtown-- 29-percent in robberies, 17-percent in larcenies, 18-percent in burglaries, and 22-percent in stolen vehicles. We are not celebrating because it's still very busy in there; we still have too many cars broken into."

A positive note, police report the so called Craigslist, or social media robberies stopped this month after police created five safe zones at police substations where online transactions can be made.