Hoyer, Van Hollen Attend Briefing On Prince George's-Montgomery County Gang Initiative

GREENBELT,  MD – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) and Congressman Chris Van Hollen (MD-8) attended a brefing today on the Prince George's-Montgomery County Gang Initiative (PGMCGI), a joint county gang initiative to prevent and suppress gang activity occurring in both Prince George's and Montgomery Counties.

"The Prince George's-Montgomery County Gang Initiative helps protect our communities and youth from the influences of gang activity," said Congressman Hoyer. "Addressing gang activity continues to be a top public safety priority, and I'm committed to supporting these coordinated efforts so that we can combat this threat to the stability of our communities."

"We continue to work to ensure law enforcement and other community agencies have the tools they need to prevent individuals from joining gangs and crack down on those who engage in violent activity," said Congressman Van Hollen. "We have made progress, but we must do much more to keep our neighborhoods safe. The sharing of information and coordination of anti-gang activities between Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, as well as others in our region, is critical to the success of that mission."

The congressmen were briefed on the PGMCGI's intelligence operation, which concentrates on pinpointing gang networks, supplying information on gang
members to task forces, and identifying targeted priority gang cases. They were also briefed on suppression aspects of the PGMCGI. The program has put in place dedicated prosecutors who are focused on the activities of gang members. It has also increased information sharing and county prosecutors are collaborating in the prosecution of cross-county gang cases. Lastly, they were briefed on prevention efforts, including uniform standards of regional gang intervention, anti-bullying and gang presentations, and programs that provide intensive case management services, GED tutoring, mental health services, workforce development, and other services.