Staff photo - Allie Jackson Barrow County Sheriff's Office Deputy Blake Bodenmiller (above) and other members of the Sheriff's Office as well as Auburn Police Chief Fred Brown and officers on his force are working to educate the community about the signs of gangs in Barrow Staff photo - Allie Jackson Also today Gangs: Signs to look out for To read the article, click here.

In January 2007 eight masked men wearing gang colors and carrying bats or clubs injured five Auburn residents in an attack.

Investigators suspected the men were members of the street gang "Bloods Set 214" and following an investigation, three men and a teenager were charged with 76 felony counts and five misdemeanor charges.

This is just one instance of gang activity in Barrow County and on June 18, the Auburn Police Department and the Barrow County Sheriff's Office held a joint meeting with citizens in an effort to raise awareness and to help stop gang activity in Barrow County.

About 15 people attended the meeting and officers from both departments discussed possible signs of gang activity of which citizens should be aware.

Chief Fred Brown of the Auburn Police Department said that some of the information discussed was toned down due to it being graphic in nature.

"It's been toned down for the general public ... I hope that it's useful to all of us as citizens of our community," Brown said.

"Because we do have an influx of gang activity in our community," said Brown. "I would not classify it as a 'serious gang problem' in our town, but it's here, and it's up to us as citizens and public servants to recognize it, identify it, try to do something about it and get law enforcement and the community working together on it."

Brown said, "We can't do it without your help."

Murray Kogod, chief deputy of the Barrow County Sheriff's Office, said the Sheriff's Office and Auburn Police Department are being very proactive in going after the threat of gang activity in Barrow County.

"We have instigated an Internet crimes unit, we do have a domestic violence task force, we do have a methamphetamine task force, we do have a narcotics unit, we do have a H.E.A.T. interdiction unit for street level drug activity."

About four months ago Kogod proposed a Barrow County Crimes Task Force. The task force is a unit made up of Sheriff's office deputies and police officers in each of the jurisdictions in Barrow County.

"They [task force] will work together ... will be sworn in together," said Kogod. "So they have jurisdiction throughout the county ... this unit will work together to solve drug and gang crimes here in Barrow County. And the start of it is right here."

G.R.I.P. (Gang Resistance Information and Planning) was started in 2007 and a complete database has been created to document tattoos, gang signs and other gang-related activity occurring in Barrow County. "Many people think that there are no gangs in Barrow County," Kogod said. "Rest assured there are gangs in Barrow County. We have documented 19 street gangs here ... we have also documented 175 of their members.

"We've documented three biker gangs here in Barrow County and 75 of their members," Kogod said. "We've also documented three hate groups. They are here, but we are doing something about them, and that's where this partnership comes in to be so important."

Investigator Bobby Wheeler and Deputy / K-9 officer Blake Bodenmiller also spoke at the meeting.

Originally published Sunday, June 29, 2008