Police presence: Special unit on mission to curb gang activity

Keith Paul

Thursday, June 7, 2001 | 11:41 a.m.

For 40 days no one died in North Las Vegas by the hands of a gang member.

That might not seem like a long period of time, but for one area of town it was the longest stretch of the year.

The residents were still scared, but more seemed to feel at ease to walk to the market or wait at a bus stop or gather to grieve the death of a family member.

That was until May 25 when Gwendolyn Jones was gunned down and four others were shot in a drive-by shooting as she and others were gathered for a wake for Jones' sister.

"You should have a right not to have to come home and dodge gunfire. You should have a right not to be afraid and stay hidden in your home," said Harold Cobb, manager of Buena Vista Springs Apartments, a low-income housing development.

The apartments are in an area on Martin Luther King Boulevard near Carey Avenue and going down to Lake Mead Boulevard that has been scarred by two warring gangs. Gangs are blamed for eight of the city's 12 homicides this year. Four other homicides blamed on the two gangs have also occurred in Metro Police's jurisdiction, which borders the area.

Police have increased patrols, but there weren't any cops dedicated to the area and thus no meaningful relationships have been forged between the residents and officers. But on June 16, North Las Vegas Police will open a satellite office with a sergeant and six officers whose mission is to patrol the area.

Fearing retaliation, residents of the area are reluctant to discuss the gangs.

"I have to live here. Who is going to protect me if they see me talking?" said one woman who would not give her name.

Police also found that residents were hesitant to talk.

"We know that people witnessed the shootings, but when we talked with them we would get, 'I didn't see anything,' or, 'I wasn't there,' " Sgt. Jim Jackson said.

But some calls started coming in and some people started talking. So far police have made arrests in three of the gang-related homicides and promise more arrests are on the way.

The area was hit with a rapid succession of killings earlier this year. On Feb. 15, church deacon Floyd Wilson was killed by a bullet meant for a gang member. In the next 16 days four others were killed in North Las Vegas by violence blamed on two gangs retaliating against each other.

But police were met with silence when they questioned possible witnesses.

"Some of the residents say they do not trust the police. I tell them there are people you should trust even less," said Majahid Ramadan, executive director of Nevada Partners.

Police hope that with officers working out of the satellite office, they will create relationships with the residents and help thwart the silence that always comes when detectives look for witnesses to shootings and slayings.

"We can't solve homicides or shootings without the residents who witness the crimes coming forward," said Lt. Art Redcay, a department spokesman.

The relationship between the residents and police has been strained over the years, but police maintain they want to solve crimes and protect the residents.

"We know we are not going to have complete acceptance, but we are trying," said Lt. Joseph Chronister of the special operations unit.

Cobb said he thought the new office would be helpful, that's why the apartment complex donated the space to the police department.

"The residents will see the same faces and get to know the officers," Cobb said. "I honestly think it will help."

But the fear still exists, even when residents come forward. Pamela Neal testified at a preliminary hearing against five reputed gang members accused of killing Joseph Williams on March 3. Charges were dropped against two of the men when Neal testified she could no longer be certain about the involvement of those two.

During the hearing, when pressed by defense attorneys to name other residents who witnessed the slaying, Neal refused.

"It's enough I'm in this," said Neal, whose cousin was killed weeks after Williams. "I got to watch my back, my kids' back."

Some residents in the area this week said they want the gang members charged for the killings, but they added that they remain fearful of what would happen to them if they talked. None would give their name.

One woman said she might feel better once the police office opened, but she questioned how long it would stay open.

Chronister said while the police have no time frame for remaining in the office, the officers will work in the area for the foreseeable future.

Ramadan said the residents need to start looking after their neighborhood and reporting what they see to the police.

"The violence has become an epidemic," he said. "We want to set up neighborhood watches because the police department can't solve all the problems."

When asked how many residents would join a neighborhood watch, Ramadan replied, "We tell residents the best hand to help you is the one on the end of your own wrist."