Hancock: Denver will devote more police to anti-gang efforts

Denver mayor Michael Hancock on anti-gang efforts April 2015
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock speaks on the city's new anti-gang efforts on April 30, 2015.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Thursday that more police will patrol the streets and the most problematic neighborhoods will be under 24 hour surveillance to counter a growing wave of gang violence.

"What we’re finding is that these gang members much more brazen, much more aggressive," said Hancock. "These gang members are of a different breed than we have been used to in the city and county of Denver."

A coalition of city, state, and federal officials intend to bring attention to the problem and reach out to community groups for intervention efforts.

"One of the things we on the federal side are committed to doing is bringing every available technique to ensure that we’re identifying that small group of trigger-pullers, the people who are hurting others, and target them so we can take them off the street," said U.S. Attorney John Walsh.

City officials continue to emphasize that they are not getting enough help from residents to fully investigate these shootings.

Twelve homicides in Denver this year are being attributed to gang violence.