By The Porterville Recorder : By Glen Faison
An aggressive crackdown on local street gangs continued Thursday, netting 14 suspects and leading to multiple field contacts with gang members.

The effort is specifically targeting those gang members with suspected links to a recent spike in violent crime in Porterville.

Police released an update on their activities Friday afternoon -- “This effort resulted in 14 arrests of known gang members and field interviews of 18 additional gang members,” Lt. Chris Dempsie of the Porterville Police Department said in a prepared statement. “The arrests were for charges ranging from transportation of narcotics and assault with a deadly weapon to public intoxication.”

No details on specific charges against specific suspects was released. Likewise, details on the locations of Thursday’s police efforts were not released.

Thus far the sweep has led to 23 arrests. No information was released about any additional police activity on Friday. Thursday’s sweep comes two days after the targeted enforcement campaign began.

One man and two juveniles were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a Sunday night shooting that left one person hospitalized with an injured hand. The trio, all with suspected gang ties, were caught during the department’s all-day gang sweep by police.

Two of the eight search warrants served during the sweep were done in connection with Sunday’s shooting, police report. One was in the 300 block of North Argyle Street and the other was in the 100 block of South Indiana Street.

During the two identified searches, detectives reportedly located a handgun and arrested Francisco Alvarado and two juveniles in connection with Sunday’s shooting.

Alvarado, 20, of Porterville, was booked at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department on suspicion of attempted murder, mayhem and being a member of a southern criminal street gang. Police report that Alvarado was being held in lieu of a $500,000 bail.

Both juveniles, also of Porterville, were booked on suspicion of attempted murder, conspiracy and being members of a southern {Sureno} criminal street gang, police said. They were being held without bail at Juvenile Hall.

Police said Tuesday’s sweep led to the arrest of nine known gang members for offenses ranging from weapons possession to traffic warrants. Twelve other gang members were also identified and interviewed, police said.

No specific information on the identities of those arrested, or on any other charges beyond those released in connection with Sunday’s shooting, was released. The crackdown on local street gangs began after a string of violent crimes during the prior two-plus weeks left a bloody trail across Porterville. Since late last month, Porterville has experienced two homicides, several shootings and other violent incidents across the community.

Police suspect much of the recent violence is related to gang activity. Dempsie said today the crackdown on criminal street gangs, led by the department’s Special Investigations Unit, “is planned to continue.” He also offered the department’s gratitude to the community for its support during the beefed-up enforcement effort.

“The Porterville Police Department is appreciative of the support and backing of the citizenry in this effort to curb gang violence in our community,” Dempsie said.

Contact Glen Faison at 784-5000, Ext. 1040, or gfaison@portervillerecorder.com.