FWPD grows stronger as young gang members armed with deadlier weapons take to the streets

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Investigators say their problems usually start in self-made rap videos that appear on YouTube.

They hurl insults at each other that range from their appearance — whether they have scars or look “ugly” — to the way they walk — whether they limp after being shot, according to court documents.

They almost always wield high-end artillery in these videos — weapons like AK-47s, semi-automatic weapons designed to disperse heavy, rapid firepower. And if the recent murders detailed in arrests and court documents are any indication, they're not afraid to use them.

Investigators who spoke to WANE 15 say those identified as gang members in Fort Wayne are looking younger and younger and the weapons they are using are more deadly than in years past.

But the number of gang members has not increased. This appears to be the case, according to Detective Sgt. Gary Hensler and Detective Marc Deshaies of the Fort Wayne Police Department's Gang and Violent Crimes Unit. The BSG or Big Swen Gang and the BMG or Big Money Gang are currently active. Apparently the Cs, the D boys and the MOBs are gone.

“Homicide teams solve problems using information from teams like ours (so) you see faster arrests.” You’re seeing more of it in the news than you used to,” Hensler said. “Currently we seem to be moving toward younger gang members who have increased their violence,” Hensler said.

This violence includes more powerful weapons. “We are seeing a significant increase in carbine caliber pistols such as AR, AK and other styles. These are typically chambered for .223, .300, and 7.62 rifle cartridges which have much greater penetration and range than pistol calibers, and they beat traditional soft body armor. This has increased the danger to the general public, since these bullets can penetrate many homes, vehicles, etc. before losing energy, and obviously also for the police.

Guns are more prolific today, Deshaies said. “Better quality firearms than in the past. These were unwanted bits from the Saturday night specials.

When asked for more information, Deshaies described these weapons as “larger caliber guns.” We see a large quantity of AR-15 pistols, aka Draco pistols.

Pair those guns with a teenager and the FWPD became “so concerned that every officer has now been issued light rifle plates,” Deshaies said.

Still, there is hope that if the younger gang members survive, the future could be better.

“It’s not the path of a lifetime that people take,” Deshaies said. “You know, gang members get older. They tend to fill this family role. And once they fulfill that family role, they grow.

“Sometimes they are arrested. Sometimes they decide there is a better path in life. You don't tend to think of this as a lifelong career. Right now we are in a very young cycle of gang violence and it tends to shock the conscience to see very young children engaging in violence, but this is the most recent trend across the states -United.

Deshaies believes that society is witnessing violence at younger ages because these young children are exposed to high levels of violence.

The Gang Unit works with FWPD Homicide to identify gang members and violent criminals.

“The Gang Unit is like the pre-homicide unit of the Fort Wayne Police Department. We prevent this from happening. We identify these people, the criminals, the gang members before they commit acts of violence, Hensler said. And over the past five years, the homicide clearance rate has been about 85 percent, higher than most large departments in the country.

Prohibition is the method used to stop crimes.

“We make arrests for less important things, less important things than murder – carrying a handgun, if it's a 'prohibited' person, narcotics, all kinds of things . We prohibit it.

This type of cooperation between the gang unit and homicide didn't exist 20 years ago and today, thanks to social media and cell phone forensics, police have better information.

“We better get the information out there. We are faster and more successful in making arrests,” Hensler said.

Hensler and Deshaies expect more problems and arrests this summer, the peak season.

“That's right. That's when school is out. Children are more active. The weather is good. Same as in winter. If it snows, people are stuck at home more They will not be active,” Hensler said.

With that, teenagers and more powerful guns make a dangerous combination.

“So there are the irrational 14-15-16 year olds, those who have not developed the capacity to act in the present and have future effects,” explains Deshaies. “It (using these deadlier firearms) gives them an immediate, permanent and deadly violent response.”

Changing the cycle would mean changing human beings. Gangs have been around for hundreds of years, Hensler said.

“As long as people are in compromised positions in their lives,” Hensler said. “They need protection. They need companionship. They didn't have it at home. They didn't get it from their family. They were harassed in schools. This type of thing has been happening for as long as we have existed in our societies and it is still happening today.

To change it, it takes the whole village, so to speak.

“Everyone in society and in our city needs to be more involved in the lives of children. Parents need to do a better job of parenting. Teachers need to do a better job of identifying problems – bullying, kids behaving antisocially at school, identifying them. Parents, counselors, church leaders, government officials like us, everyone, media. The way violence is portrayed on television, songwriters, musicians, video games, it all goes together. None of them alone create these problems. All together, it is. Poverty. Everything comes together to create the situation.