San Bernardino sweep

SAN BERNARDINO - More than 90 people were arrested Friday night when law enforcement officers swept city streets targeting gang members, probation violators and drug dealers.

The majority of arrests involved gang members, police said.

The nine-hour sweep, which began at 3 p.m. and ended at midnight, wasn't tied to the city's recent rash of homicides - it's something law enforcement agencies do on a revolving basis, authorities said.

Officers said no one was injured and no shots were fired during the operation. Some arrests were made after foot pursuits.

Those arrested were processed at a mobile command center in the parking lot at San Manuel Stadium before being taken to jail.

Police Chief Robert Handy worked the sweep with his officers.

"The sweep was very successful," he said. "It's vital that each individual agency continue to support and assist each other in the fight against street violence as well as trying our best to keep all citizens safe from becoming the next victim of gang violence."

Nelson Carrington, a San Bernardino police officer assigned to the gang unit called SMASH, said there are over 20 homegrown gangs in the city.

"That's not including the gang members from Los Angeles that filtered their way into our city," he said.

"SMASH has documented and identified over 40,000 members of street gangs in the county," Carrington said. "The main hub for these criminals is in our city limits."

San Bernardino police Sgt. Dan Gomez, also a member of SMASH, said many gang members live in the lower income housing areas of the city but it is difficult to gather information about them because residents fear retaliation.

"They affect the lives of the good, hard-working people around them in a negative way," he said. "We do everything we can to keep people safe but if nobody is willing to give us information on what's going on in their community, it makes it that much harder for us to put the bad guys behind bars."

About 50 peace officers from law enforcement agencies from Barstow to Fontana and Redlands and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's and Probation departments participated in the sweep.

By the numbers
9 - hours the operation lasted.
90 - or more people arrested.

50 - or more law enforcement officers involved.

20 - homegrown gangs in San Bernardino.

40,000 - documented gang members in San Bernardino County.