AUGUSTA, Ga. – Georgia’s gang membership numbers have skyrocketed in the past six years, according to a survey released by a nonprofit on Friday.

The survey didn’t show an increase in gang violence but did show agencies reporting that gangs are responsible for about 65% of all crime in Georgia.

That’s in line with what the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has told News 12.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division tells us gang violence is the root of almost all violent crime here – as well as less violent crimes like bank fraud and car break-ins.

In 2024, Georgia is home to more than 127,000 gang members and associates, the Georgia Gang Investigators Association said.

That marks about an 80% increase from its 2018 survey, which found about 71,000 members.

The number of violent gangs has also risen from 1,600 to more than 1,900, the survey found.

The increase is “significant and alarming,” the association said — and the numbers are likely much higher. The survey took reported data from sheriff’s offices and law enforcement agencies in 86 of Georgia’s 159 counties, leaving 73 unrecorded.

“The surge in gang membership and violence is a clear sign that we need to take more aggressive and collaborative measures to address the growing influence of gangs in Georgia,” GGIA President Jose Ramirez said in a statement. “The findings in this survey highlight the urgency of implementing comprehensive strategies to protect our communities and provide young people with alternatives to gang life.”

Ramirez said gang recruitment among young people is particularly concerning.

“They’re selling a gang lifestyle that ultimately provides a psychological trap under the disguise of love, acceptance and power,” he said.

Gang violence happens all across Georgia, whether it’s in a rural or populated area, the survey found.

In Richmond County

The CSRA has been caught up in a cycle of violent crime that’s claimed more than 180 lives in the past two years.

Underneath that crime is the drug and gun situation happening in Richmond County, Richmond County deputies told News 12 a few weeks ago.

Hundreds of pounds of drugs, hundreds of guns and millions in cash were found in neighborhoods across Richmond County.

Investigators are tracking just how much cash, drugs and guns are seized during search warrants.

Data kept by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office tells the story of what law enforcement is up against.

From 2018 to May 2024, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office seized $4,348,817 from search warrants alone. That also includes at least 1,152 guns and 226 vehicles.

Over the course of the past six years, there have been more than 2,500 arrests and nearly 2,000 felony cases.

As for the drugs seized, since 2021 when deputies began tracking fentanyl seizures, 39 pounds have been recovered.

Since 2021, that number has increased dramatically.

The total doubled from 2022 to 2023, and this year, it’s on track to increase again.

Since 2018, investigators took more than 1,200 pounds of marijuana, 166 pounds of meth, 166 pounds of cocaine, and nearly 6,000 oxycodone pills.

Across Georgia

In 2022, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr launched the State’s Gang Prosecution Unit, convicting 48 gang members to date.

“When it comes to protecting our children, we must double and triple down on anti-recruitment efforts across the board, and we must continue to ensure that our law enforcement officers have the training and resources they need to bring strong cases that ultimately lead to safer communities,” Carr said.

The survey only pulled from data made available to the nonprofit, Ramirez said. He believes a good next step would be for the state to track gang violence data, allowing for a more complete picture.

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