Local city's crime crackdown nets 2 busts in one week, 8 gang members in jail

A local police chief says his agency's new gang crackdown is keeping residents safe.

With two busts in a week and eight gang members in jail, the new police chief said his decision to add more resources is paying off.

"We actually tripled the size of our gang unit," said Police Chief Keith Meadows.

The department gave Channel 2's Matt Johnson pictures of guns, drugs and pills they said they seized in the two busts this week.

Some of the people arrested are gang members but police said three of the drug dealers are a grandmother and her two grandkids inside a neighborhood on Magnolia Court.

Police seized prescription drugs, 7 guns, and a large amount of marijuana with a street value of roughly $36,000.

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Meadows said a new focus on data analysis and crime mapping should put gang members in the city on notice.

"We've seen a great deal of success with respects to targeting those individuals and arresting them," he said.

Wednesday night, Meadows says his officers arrested eight suspected gang members at the Sierra Townhomes on Godby Road.

Police seized two stolen guns, marijuana, 45 molly pills and charged each person with obstruction.

Residents heard of the arrests during a community meeting Thursday night in South Fulton.

After the meeting, Johnson asked how police can make them feel fully safe.

"It's also going to take the community to stay involved and get behind him," Meadows said.

In a meeting with other authorities, Meadows said he estimates there are 200 gangs in metro Atlanta.

Cox Media Group