Reporting From WALB-News 10:

Wednesday: Gang violence threat expanded. Gang members have threatened shootings on the campuses of Darton College, Albany State University, Albany High, Dougherty High and Monroe High Schools. The threat stems from a fight last night between the Bloods and the Rattlers.

Now that the word is out about this deficiency, will the community’s crime-fighting leadership do something about it?

It was an innocent enough question.

At the last Albany-Dougherty Gang Task Force meeting, Albany police officials were asked whether they had a database of gang members in the community.

When the answer was no, you could have heard a pin drop, as nearly everyone in the room seemed to wonder to himself or herself: How in the world is that possible?

It’s no wonder gangs have gotten a leg up on police in recent years.

It’s no wonder so many of us are looking over our shoulder, wondering when – not if – we’re going to get robbed or burglarized.

It’s no wonder that there’s a perception that Albany is unsafe.

Four weeks after the Gang Task Force meeting’s stunning revelation, my question is: Is there a database of gang members in the community?

I trust the answer is yes.

And if it’s not, I trust that someone among our community’s crime-fighting leadership will step up and overcome this deficiency.

Albany ’s police leadership coordinates the community’s gang intelligence and public information efforts, and, thus, has dropped the ball on tracking gang activity. But it’s Assistant District Attorney Greg Edwards whose efforts have been bringing law enforcement agencies to the same table in recent weeks.

Mr. Edwards said that many arrests are forthcoming from a recent series of search warrants orchestrated by his office. And he’s risking stepping on political toes by encouraging elected, appointed and judicial officials to step up their gang-fighting efforts through collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking. For example, he says judges should “suppress” gang participation by prohibiting probationers from associating with gang members and wearing gang colors.

Foremost, though, is involving the community in solving the problem.

“The best way to deal with gangs is to ask the community what’s going on,” he told the Albany City Commission on Tuesday. “It’s sort of like a war. We have to use all of our resources to fight this battle.”