MLPD steps up arrests of people with suspected gang ties

MOSES LAKE — In response to a number of gang-related drive-by shootings in recent months, in which no known victims were injured but property damage occurred, the Moses Lake Police Department has stepped up arrests of suspected gang members.

On Saturday alone, at least four men sporting suspected gang colors were stopped by police. Three were arrested and booked into jail on outstanding warrants.

While one of those men had a warrant for felony drug charges, at least one other was booked into jail on misdemeanor offenses. For a period, which ended a couple of weeks ago, due to COVID-19 restrictions only people charged with mandatory arrest charges, such as violent or domestic violence crimes, were being booked into the county jail.

This ramping-up of arrests, even for low-level offenses, is all part of a message the local police department is hoping to send to gangs that are active in the area.

“Last weekend was sending a message that we’re fed up with all of the gang activity going on,” Police Chief Kevin Fuhr said in a Tuesday interview. “If it continues we’re going to go out and find people involved with these gangs, we’re going to do what we can to get them into the jail.”

While gang activity is not new in the Columbia Basin, where federal and state law enforcement agencies have frequently worked with local departments to solve drug- and weapons-related crimes, Fuhr said that the area has been seeing an uptick of these offenses.

“We’ve had three or four drive-by shootings in the last few weeks,” Fuhr said. “I’m not saying they’re tied together, but if we’re seeing an uptick in gang violence, we want to be proactive. We’ve not had any injuries yet in the drive-bys, but we could eventually have someone injured or die.”