The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office hosted a joint meeting of the Texas Violent Gang Task Force (TVGTF) and the Texas Gang Investigators Association (TGIA) on May 25.
Sheriff Bobby Rader welcomed over 90 law enforcement personnel from throughout the Liberty County area where attendees shared gang intelligence and received specialized training. They met in the classroom at the new Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in Liberty.
Thanks to a grant funded through the Governor’s Office Criminal Justice Division, the TVGTF grant training initiative provides technical assistance, gang training, and support into rural and midsize jurisdictions within the state.
The initiative focuses on collaborating with local law enforcement agencies and partners with TGIA, to provide critically needed training, the timely dissemination of gang-related information and tuition free training throughout the state.
This training initiative is the only statewide effort that coordinates the resources of existing federal, state, and regional stakeholders, with the goal of making training and gang intelligence sharing accessible and efficient for criminal and juvenile justice personnel.
“A class of this type is very important, There were around 100 law enforcement officers who attended the class. We learned about the most recent gang-related crimes and what to look for. The attendees shared information on gang intelligence,” said Sheriff Bobby Rader. “I believe that everyone left with a better understanding of how dangerous and hideous the crimes that gangs commit could be.”
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office has plans in place to deal with this growing program, the sheriff added.
If someone has information about a person that may be a gang member, please call 936-336-4500, ext 1.