A street gang task force is set to begin operations in Columbus

Chuck Williams and Nicole Sanders

12 minutes ago

ATLANTA, Ga. (WRBL) — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation brings a street gang task force to Columbus.

The nine-person unit’s goal is to help local law enforcement agencies combat criminal street gangs. The General Assembly is appropriating approximately $5 million for this unit in western Georgia.

GBI Director Chris Hosey says funding for the unit will begin arriving in July.

“You know, we’ve done projects like this in other locations in the state of Georgia. We put one in Macon last year,” Hosey said. “From the very beginning, we came together and I think we have established and continue to have a great working relationship with the Columbus Police Department, the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and all the local agencies that are there.”

GBI continues to work to secure the location. The identity of the office’s agents is in progress.

The unit should be operational by the end of the year. Hosey hopes the unit will send a strong message.

“We are here to protect the citizens of Columbus and Muskogee counties and surrounding areas. “I think the message will be strong,” Hosey said. “We will leave, we will come and do what we have to do. We will work with our local partners, as I mentioned, state, local and federal partners in this area of ​​the state as we do in other areas of the state. In short, we will come and do what we have to do.”

You can watch the full interview with Principal Hosey this week on News 3 on Sunday mornings from 8:00