PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Portland, Ore., police said Christmas week would be a hot one for many of the 68 individuals charged in a major gang investigation announced Tuesday.
Officials said 31 defendants named in a series of 13 indictments targeting the Crips and other major gangs had been picked up in recent days and a manhunt was under way for the remaining fugitives.
The Portland Police Bureau said in a written statement the crackdown came during a spate of gang-related trouble in the city. The bureau's gang detail responded to 99 calls for serious crimes such as shootings and serious assaults and arrested 366 suspects identified as gang members.
"The goal of this operation is to impact members of Portland's most violent gang sets," the statement said. "We hope this focused approach will make Portland neighborhoods safer."
