Special Report: Monterey Peninsula’s regional task force tightens grip on gang violence

Eight suspected gang members are facing serious criminal charges, the result of a major law enforcement sweep on the Monterey Peninsula one week ago.

But there’s a lot more to this story than a single day’s police work.

News Channel 5 took an in-depth look at a unique, highly trained and highly successful regional team of officers that’s making a huge impact on gang crime all over the Peninsula and parts of Monterey County.

“Every gang we have here poses a threat to our community,” said Cmdr. Bruno Dias, who oversees the Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team.

Drugs, from meth to heroin, high-powered weapons and, of course, violence preventing crime on the peninsula is all in the acronym: PRVNT, or simply, “prevent.”

“Crime knows no jurisdictions, it doesn’t respect boundaries,” said Seaside and Pacific Grove Police Chief Vicki Myers.

With similar crimes popping up in different Peninsula cities, law enforcement is taking a regional approach to policing.

“No one single agency could have accomplished what they have accomplished collectively,” said Myers, referring to PRVNT.

Let’s start at the beginning.

“Several of the chiefs got together on the Peninsula and they determined that hey, how do we best address this problem that’s developing regionally?” said Sgt. Bill Clark, with Monterey police.

Police chiefs from Seaside, Monterey, Marina, Pacific Grove, Carmel-by-the-Sea and Sand City plus the California Highway Patrol and Cal-State Monterey Bay launched PRVNT. It has been protecting the Peninsula for the last two and a half years.

“It’s really the success of all of the agencies working together,” Myers said.

These officers are specifically trained to predict gang members’ moves, track drug sales and solve complicated homicides. Some serve on PRVNT for a limited time and then go back to their departments with a whole new skill set.

“A great case in point is Sgt. Bill Clark of the Monterey Police Department,” Myers said.

Though this 25-year veteran is on patrol these days, Clark says his experience with PRVNT makes him that much more valuable on the streets.

“We do have some violent acts, usually batteries, not necessarily homicides,” Clark said, referring to the city of Monterey.

“Unfortunately one did occur right down the street here,” said John Smith, a 14-year Monterey resident.

On March 14, a man was shot to death near Del Monte Beach with little evidence, few witnesses and, apparently, a gang connection.

“That’s where PRVNT comes in,” Clark said.

With Clark’s expertise, and a PRVNT investigation extending all the way to Salinas, two arrests were made in just five days.

Clark said even though the task force made the arrests, it was actually Monterey police officers who showed up on scene first and made a crucial discovery.

“One of the observations by the patrol sergeant, responding to the scene, identified a vehicle that was leaving the area,” Clark said. “That vehicle held the key to the homicide and that led us eventually to the suspects.”

Clark gave News Channel 5 a little insight into the mindset of the gangs on the Peninsula. The main gangs in those cities are Norteos and Crips, he said.

“Some of the gang beefs and the fights are not necessarily territory these days,” he said. It’s about the gang, it’s about what you claim. It’s about being a Norteo, Sureo or a Crip.”

On March 15, suspected Crips gang member Khaleel Johnson was allegedly murdered in Sand City by Norteos. PRVNT said that sparked a series of violent retaliations by the Crips.

Last week, the task force executed a sweep of the Peninsula to find those responsible.

“You see police around your house, you wonder what’s going on,” said Emmanuel Areloa, a Seaside resident.

Working with SWAT officers, PRVNT had eight suspects on its radar. Within just a week, all eight were in custody.

“Their work speaks for themselves,” said Chief Myers, who oversees the task force.

According to stats compiled by PRVNT, since 2013, they’ve seized approximately 20.5 pounds of dangerous drugs and 83 guns, and made 302 arrests.

“We’ve been able to solve eight homicides and we’re in the process of finishing two more homicides [which] are currently cold,” said PRVNT Cmdr. Dias.

Monterey Sgt. Clark said that while a large sweep, like the task force conducted last week, slows down violent activity in the region, PRVNT needs to stay a step ahead of the gangs.

Myers added the task force is in the process of acquiring a crime analyst to track trends on the Peninsula.