POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd on Tuesday released the details of a year-and-a-half-long effort to disrupt gang activity in Polk County.
The Violent Gang Investigative Task Force was formed after a brazen shooting in Lakeland that injured 11 people in February of 2023.
The operation, which involves multiple law enforcement agencies, was created in February 2023 to investigate and "dismantle" gangs that are operating in the county.
With the help of FBI Tampa, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and ATF Tampa, deputies were able to seize 57 guns and make 144 arrests, the sheriff said. Those arrested were between the ages of 16 and 29.
"These are illegally altered firearms. Making them fully automatic," Detective Brett Hermelbracht said. “They are able to shoot a rapid number of rounds in a very short period of time."
The task force also reportedly helped reduce gang-related shootings by 30% in the county. Gang-related drive-by shootings also decreased by 45% in the past 18 months, according to the sheriff. Judd said crime is now at a "50-year low."
But the sheriff says there's still a lot of work to do.
Six gang-related were recorded in 2019. That number increased to 63 gang-related shootings by 2022.
At the press conference, Sheriff Judd referenced a few incidents that involved children as young as 12 years old getting hurt, as well as people who weren't affiliated with the gangs.
"If you have one kid that shoots one kid that's unacceptable. So, when we get to zero drive-by shootings, zero gang retaliations, and zero kids being shot and zero kids getting these guns — and they're getting them off the street so they can't go in and buy them — then, we will know that we're successful," Judd said. "But as long as you have anyone shooting at anyone, it's not acceptable."
Alongside the task force results, Judd credited the agency's Gang Resistance Intervention Program in local schools, as well as working with local church groups in helping to break the cycle of retaliation and violence.
"Coming to see kids in prison that are in a faith-based program, and they're getting baptized and they come home, they say they're not gonna be part of the gangs anymore because they know this man will lock you up,” Minister Irvin Mahoney said, referring to Sheriff Judd.
"You will see more arrests," Judd added. "We have zero tolerance for people who shoot at kids, or shoot at anybody, but especially kids."