NYPD: More females involved in gangs

They may be females, but they’re sure not gentler.

The NYPD’s “Operation Crew Cut,” which investigates loosely affiliated street gangs, has seen an increase in female involvement, cops said.

 

“We've been seeing that trend for the last couple years,” Chief of Department Philip Banks III said Monday. “These females have been becoming a lot more actively involved.”

 

“All of our ‘Operation Crew Cut’ is aware of the female involvement and we're targeting that element,” Banks said.

 

Banks made the comments during a press conference at NYPD headquarters where Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly announced that homicides among victims 13 to 21 years old dropped 50.6%, from 87 to 43 through Nov. 24. 

 

He attributed the decrease so far this year to the NYPD’s “Operation Crew Cut” which started in October 2012 to go after “crews” that were responsible for shooting up city streets.

 

He and the Brooklyn district attorneys office announced the indictments of 20 suspects responsible for street crew violence in Brownsville. The charges include murder, robbery, assault and weapons possession, Kelly said. 

 

Seven of the 20 indicted were women, Kelly said.

 

"Detectives have found that girl on girl crime by crew members is vicious and growing more dangerous," he said.

 

The females who were indicted were all part of a crew called ATC “Addicted to Cash.”

 

The crew has a female contingency known as 180 ATC. Police believe the 180 is related to a building number.

 

One 13-year-old female was attacked with an ice pick, a bat and a golf club Aug. 16 in the Marcus Garvey Houses for refusing to help a group of 180 ATC members who were looking for a rival, cops said. 

 

The straight-A student was “pummeled” by the gang members, Kelly said. A 15-, 16- and 17-year-old were indicted for gang assault in the case, cops said.

 

In another case, a crew member known as “Pretty Diana,” 14, was arrested Aug. 11. with a loaded .22-caliber revolver in her purse. 

 

Kelly said most of the disputes the young gang members were involved in revolved around “turf wars.”

 

“Basically, it’s turf,” Kelly said. “In some locations, it’s the front against the back.”

 

He said police and prosecutors have conducted 25 investigations throughout the five boroughs resulting in more than 400 crew members indicted since “Operation Crew Cut” began.

Source: New York Times