Sheriff's Office Starts Task Force to Deal With Over 1,100 Documented Gangs in Lake County

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday the formation of the Lake County Gang Task force, which is meant to be a law enforcement collaborative comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies.

The task force is meant to address the increased migration of gang members into Lake County.

Today, there are over 1,100 documented gang members in Lake County, with 86% classified as Chicago-based gangs, according to a Lake County

“Gangs are evolving and utilizing technology to expand their networks and illicit activities across state and county lines. We see it every day and we know when we share intelligence and resources with other agencies, we are more effective,” said Undersheriff Raymond J. Rose. “That is why we formed this collaborative and we are arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating anyone caught providing, selling or transporting illegal drugs or weapons.”

The LCGTF is a multi-jurisdictional task force with federal and local law enforcement members. The task force trains participating members from local agencies with recognition training and a shared records management system.

The task force also collaborates with educational, faith-based, civic and parent organizations providing gang-awareness presentations and developing stronger community relations to prevent gangs from recruiting youth.