Statewide grand jury will focus on organized crime

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 21, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - The state Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to convene a statewide grand jury to investigate gang crime, which police say is on the rise in Florida.

Gov. Charlie Crist asked the court to impanel the grand jury, which will be presided over by Circuit Judge Kathleen J. Kroll in West Palm Beach.

Crist said he was concerned about reports of rising gang activity, although officials say the evidence so far mostly anecdotal. Still, crime data appears to show a rising incidence of gang-related crime, said statewide prosecutor William N. Shepherd.

"There's no doubt that there are local gangs that hang out on street corners, but the real problem that we want to target are the ... multi-offender, organized crime gangs, " Shepherd said.

The grand jury will sit for one year.

Members will be selected from a swath of Florida running from the southwest part of the state across the peninsula to Broward and Palm Beach counties.

[Last modified June 20, 2007, 23:11:17]