The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is the hosting component of the Essex Narcotics Task Force. The Task Force was organized in 1987 as a multi-jurisdictional operation and is responsible for the investigation of middle and upper-level narcotics distribution cases. The Task Force approach resulted from the Statewide Action Plan for Narcotics Enforcement of 1987, which set forth a comprehensive approach to attacking the drug abuse epidemic. The publication of the Attorney General’s 1993 Statewide Narcotics Action Plan recognized that diverse approaches to this crisis were necessary to continue a coordinated, cooperative, and comprehensive approach to drug law enforcement. Certain areas of Essex County contain both a relatively large distributor population and a significant user population. The most commonly sold and abused drugs in Essex County continue to be heroin, cocaine (including crack), and marijuana. Within the past decade, drug traffickers in Essex County have resorted more frequently to the use of violence to further their criminal operations. Therefore, the Task Force approach is now targeted at middle and upper-level drug traffickers in Essex County, as opposed to short-term investigations aimed at lower-level traffickers.

The increased involvement of organized youth gangs in narcotics-related activities in Essex County over the past few years has resulted in a high level of interaction between members of the Prosecutor’s Gang Intelligence Unit and members of the Narcotics Task Force. As a result of this interaction and in order to efficiently maximize limited resources, former Acting Prosecutor Campolo merged the Gang Intelligence Unit into the Narcotics Task Force in October 2001.

In 2008, as part of the Governor’s Crime Strategy Plan, the Gang Intelligence Unit was merged with the Narcotics Task Force to become the V.I.P.E.R. Unit (Violence Interdiction/Intelligence Prosecution Eradication Recidivism Unit). In 2012, this unit in turn was renamed the ECPO Narcotics/Gang Task Force. This task force, which operates both daytime and evening shifts, targets and prioritizes the most violent offender zones; gathers intelligence of confiscated firearms and enters ballistics into the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (NIBIN System); coordinates intelligence-led policing strategies in ceasefire grid areas with Newark and Irvington law enforcement officials; and conducts warrant roundups of wanted targets of gang violence, narcotics and firearm offenses in high crime-ridden areas. In addition, the Narcotics/Gang Task Force coordinates daily with the Newark and East Orange Police Intelligence Units, the Essex County Corrections Department, neighboring outside police departments, and other County Prosecutors’ violent drug and gang task forces.

The prosecutors of the Narcotics/Gang Task Force vertically prosecute all cases initiated by Task Force detectives. The Narcotics/Gang prosecutors also review all narcotics and gang-related search warrants and provide legal advice to outside law enforcement agencies on the narcotics and gang issues.

The ECPO Narcotics/Gang Task Force is partially supported by federal grant funds administered by the State of New Jersey. The Task Force is staffed, at present time, by County Detectives led by a Lieutenant, other state and local law enforcement officers, an Assistant Prosecutor/Director, three Assistant Prosecutors, and clerical support staff. The Unit is engaged in long term undercover operations targeting upper-level drug dealers. In addition, the Unit conducts street-level initiatives in Irvington, East Orange, and Orange that are geared toward improving quality of life in designated high narcotics crime areas of those municipalities. The Unit also interacts with the DEA, U.S. Customs, U.S. Postal Inspectors, and the Port Authority Police in order to interdict drugs being transported through Newark Airport and by means of the mail and private package delivery services.

GANG INTELLIGENCE: One mission of the Narcotics/Gang Task Force is to gather intelligence on gang activity and identify gang members in Essex County. The Intelligence section of the Task Force serves as a free-standing unit, consisting of a lieutenant and detectives that collect and analyzes criminal information and data. This process is extremely beneficial in identifying criminal organizations in Essex County and also in determining criminal trends. This criminal intelligence is disseminated to the other investigative units of the Prosecutor’s Office and other Essex County law enforcement agencies.

The three largest gangs operating in Essex County are The Bloods, The Crips, and The Almighty Latin King Nation (Latin Kings, ALKQN). There are also a number of other Latin gangs, namely the Netas, MS-13, “Trinitarios” and “Dominicans Don’t Play” (DDP). The Bloods and the Crips consist of numerous “sets” or “sub-groups.” Essex County law enforcement has identified several “Super-Gangs” within the County. Within the Crips, the “Super-Gangs” are the: Grape Street, Hoover 52, Hoover 74, Rolling 60′s, and Playboy sets. The “Super-Gangs” within the Bloods include the 793, G-shine, Brick City Brims, 464 Mob Insane Mob Piru, 662 MOB Piru, 252 SMM, and Double II sets. Criminal intelligence developed by Task Force detectives has indicated that there are a number of conflicts between rival Bloods sets. These conflicts often result in violence.

There are over 3,000 documented gang members in Essex County. Gang membership also appears to be increasing annually. The lure of fast cash and the protection afforded by gang membership are among the reasons for the increase in gang membership. The glamorization of gang life in popular culture and mass media outlets (films, music, etc.) is also a contributing factor in gang membership.

The main gang-related criminal activity in Essex County is the distribution of narcotics. “Drug-dealing” is a cash business and lure fast cash entices a number of younger citizens to join gangs. The cash generated from narcotics distribution is also used for bail money and attorneys fees by gang members. There are a number of “open-air” drug markets within Essex County and the easy accessibility to the major cities provides a strong customer base. Drug areas are controlled by various gang sets and violence often occurs when a rival gang attempts to move into another gang’s territory. Home invasion robberies, extortion, mortgage fraud, and the sale of counterfeit DVDs, CDs, and clothing are other areas of criminal activity perpetrated by criminal street gangs in Essex County. Gang members will often “launder” the proceeds of these illegal activities into “seemingly” legitimate businesses.