| Getting tough on gangs South Carolina is getting tough on gangs, and it's not hard to understand why. Gangs kill, rape, kidnap, assault and beat up people. They traffic in drugs, take over neighborhoods and intimidate their critics. They're the closest thing we have to home-grown terrorists - and in the Palmetto State, they're growing by leaps and bounds. According to State Law Enforcement Division Director Robert Stewart, there were 522 gang-related incidents in 2003, up from 370 in 2002 - an increase of 152 incidents. The rate could be even higher for 2004. Law-enforcement authorities estimate there are 80 to 100 gangs in South Carolina. One way of tackling the issue is through legislation. Sen. Jake Knotts, R-West Columbia, already has pre-filed a bill, the Criminal Gang Prevention Act, that seeks to define what a gang is - a delicate legal chore given that the Constitution guarantees freedom of association - and makes illegal certain crimes gangs do. The measure also calls on prison officials, when a gang member is released, to notify the sheriff from the county where the gang member came from. If the legislation can find its way through the legal mine fields, it could prove to be useful. But perhaps more useful is what's being planned by state Attorney General Henry McMaster. He says his office will start using the state's grand jury to go after the gangs. The statewide grand jury system should be a terrific tool to use against gangs. First, because it has multi-jurisdictional investigative and prosecutorial powers. Without multijurisdictional powers, law-enforcement can get bogged down in county jurisdictional issues, which sometimes include local corruption and obstructionism. Second, statewide grand juries have tools at their disposal that can compel testimony from balking witnesses - in this case, gang members. South Carolina's statewide grand juries are empowered to look into drug offenses, obscenity, public corruption, election fraud, computer crimes, terrorism and security fraud. It's simply common sense to add gang activity to that list. For now, McMaster should be applauded for doing the right thing. Let's hope that, in the months and years ahead, he can be applauded for successfully prosecuting gangs and reducing their numbers.
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