Memorandum of Understanding

Task Force - “TF: Salvatrucha”

TEAM BRAVO

Leena Alyashaa, Jeffrey Brown, Chris Grill, Luis Lealcontreras, and Virginia Passamentt

University of San Diego, LEPS 570

Professor Nuno Tavares

December 13, 2021

 Table of Contents - TF: Salvatrucha

Task Force Model ……………………………………………………………………………….8

● Scope & scale of the gang

● Response to address the gang

● Identify the task force model that is most appropriate for local response needs

● Gaining support from local leaders

Personnel ………………………………………………………………………………………..10

● Personnel selection

● Lead agency

● Proposed partnership

● Span of control - “Street” Teams

○ Sergeant #1, Team “Echo”

○ Sergeant #2, Team “X-ray”

○ Sergeant #3, Team “Sierra”

● Task Force Leadership

○ Director

○ Supervisors

○ Agents/Deputies/Officers/Investigators
Task Force Mission …………………………………………………………………………….12

● Procurement procedures

● Faculties

● Training

● Equipment

● Vehicles

● Uniform

● Office Supplies

Data Collection …………………………………………………………………………………15

● Criminal Street Gang(s) Definition

● Criminal Street Gang Member(s) Definition

● Gang Affiliated Person Definition

● Gang Related Crime Definition

● Gang Validation

● Reclassification of Crimes

● Unit Analytics

Risk Management/Liability Procedures ……………………………………………………...17

● Use of force
 ● Informant Definitions

● Informant management

● Informant payments

● Money handling/overtime

● Risk management

● Event deconfliction

Training …………………………………………………………………………………….......20

● Required training

● Specific personnel training

● High risk training

● Routine training

● Training completion

● Outreach training

Funding/Budget/Total Operation Expenses ………………………………………………….22

● Budget

● Total operational expenses

Policies & Procedures ………………………………………………………………………….24

● Task force operations

 ● Task force administration

● Policy approval/changes

● Process and timing for revising and updating the policy and procedure manual

● Participant input on policies and procedures

● Manual distribution and how training on its contents be provided

Operational Planning/Investigation and Prosecution Strategies …………………………....28

● Operational planning

● Investigation and prosecution

Critical Incidents …………………………………………………………………………….....30

● Critical incidents include

● Plan for violence and critical incidents

● Critical incident checklist

● Elements of critical incident response

● Media & Press Release

Confidential Informants & Investigative Funds ……………………………………………..33

● Policy & procedures of the informant asset

● Training on informant policy

● Audit process
 ● Elements of a confidential informant policy

Stakeholders …………………………………………………………………………………....35

● Residents, schools & community organizations

● Local business owners

● Law enforcement community

● Task Force Performance Measurements

● Evaluation Measurement Tool

● Youth gang intervention & suppression

Case Management ……………………………………………………………………………...39

Task Force Design/Facilities/Equipment ……………………………………………………..42

● Requisite elements

● Scope & expectations

● Dialogue

● Capabilities

● Support roles

● Design option

Task Force Participants ……………………………………………………………………….46

● Justice community vested interest in the gang

 ● Collaborative environment

● Inviting participants

Performance Measurement System …………………………………………………………...48

● Additional task force performance measurement system

● Data collection & dissemination

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................51

● Distribution of Memorandum

References ....................................................................................................................................52
 Task Force Model

Scope and scale of the gang

Anyone associated with the gang can have a say making it dangerous for all regions of

North and South America. “The MS13 is a diffuse organization of sub-parts, with no single

leader or leadership structure that directs the entire gang. The MS13 has two poles of power: in

Los Angeles, where it was founded, and in El Salvador, its spiritual birthplace where many of its

historic leaders reside. But the gang has no single leader or leadership council” (MS13 in the

Americas). Members of the gang have found their way to expand their gang in the prison system,

giving them more power and control. Los Angeles is known to have a wide display of gangs that

translate into criminal gang activity.

Response to address the gang

“The MS-13 was established in the 1980s on the streets of Los Angeles by Central

American refugees and their children who had fled vicious civil wars. Large-scale deportations

of gang-involved youth from the United States in the 1990s exported U.S. gang culture to

Central America.” (Kinosian). MS13 targets and preys on the young to carry out their heinous

crimes. One way to help solve this issue would be to allocate more funds towards community

relations through community policing, so less children will fall victim to this gang in

impoverished neighborhoods. A devised plan, with many members, and all working together will

help us in our goal of dismantling the MS13 gang. By utilizing multiple agencies, members will

address the issues of the MS 13 gang by attacking the problem of where it originated from in Los

Angeles and the jai/prison system where it continues to spread.

Identify the task force model that is most appropriate for local response needs

Intra-agency to multijurisdictional will be used to combat the issue of allowing the gang

to further spread throughout the globe. The task force will utilize resources from Federal, state,

county, local, district attorney, and department of corrections. The primary agency that will be

supporting will be, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). Since MS-13 originated

in Los Angeles, LASD will have a larger pocket of jurisdiction since the gang plays a role in the

prison/jail system as well. The task force will consist of undercover operations, confidential

informants, crime reports associated with the criminal gang activity, field interviews,

surveillance, field investigations, and other forms of investigations. The task force will be

structured starting from where the gang originated from in LASD.

Gaining support from local leaders

The widespread of the MS13 has shown to be taking over various parts of our continent

in which it has created other gangs around our nation. “Meanwhile, MS-13 and other street gangs

made up predominantly of those with Central American roots spread from Los Angeles to other

cities in the United States that had substantial immigrant populations. Similar growth was seen

during this time by other California-based gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips” (Kinosian).

While we can’t promise the gang itself will ever be abolished, we need leaders to help support

our cause. The goal is to slow down the growth of the gang by employing more officers or

organizations that directly focus on preventing the youth from impoverished neighborhoods from

joining the gang. Furthermore, having a widespread police presence deterring gang related

criminal activity from occurring.

 PERSONNEL

Personnel Selection

The success of the task force will root from the personnel and the performance of the

personnel selected. The task force will consist solely of mature, responsible, positive individuals

committed to achieving the task force mission.

Lead Agency

The lead agency will be Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office due to their vast number of

resources and networking opportunities.

Proposed Partnership

- Drug Enforcement Administration

- Homeland Security Investigations

- California Department of Corrections

- California Highway Patrol

- Los Angeles Police Department

- Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office

Span of Control - “Street” Teams

Overseen by (1) Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant and will consist of (1)

Los Angeles Police Department Patrol Officer, (1) District Attorney’s Office Investigator, (1) Los

Angeles Sheriff’s Office Deputy, (1) California Highway Patrol Trooper, (1) Homeland Security

Investigations OR Drug Investigations Administration Agent, (1) California Department of

Corrections Officer. Street Teams will report to their respective Sergeant (as assigned) and will

assume their assignments immediately.

Sergeant #1, Team “Echo” - focus on everything drug trafficking, set up undercover buys, and

collect information on the drug sales, etc.

Sergeant #2, Team “Xray” - focus on all surveillance and intelligence. The priority is to keeping

tabs of the gang’s every move for criminal activity and keep the other teams informed.

Sergeant #3, Team “Sierra” - focus on attaching murders to specific gang members from recent

cold cases, follow up on vacant real-estate properties possibly used for criminal activity, etc.

Task Force Leadership – Director

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant will oversee the entire task force, will

be tasked to coordinate with outside agencies, to resolve any issue that may arise, to ensure the

safety of all assigned to the task force, to keep in contact with the street team sergeants for any

updates, and to relay updates to the higher commanding officers when needed. The Lieutenant will

serve as the public relations officer if any issue needs to be publicly addressed. The Lieutenant

must ensure all agencies are upholding the task force mission, performing their duties to the best

of their ability, and are working cohesively.

Task Force Leadership - Supervisors

Three Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Sergeants will serve as the supervisors for the

task force. The Sergeants will be tasked to provide team assignments, supervise each street team

member’s performance, resolve any issues that arise, ensure all members are performing their

duties, and communicating all progress with the Lieutenant.

Task Force Leadership - Agents/Deputies/Officers/Investigators

The task force shall have a minimum of 6 team members per street team (see “Street Team”

section). These individuals are to report any progress, as needed, and to report any progress to their

assigned Sergeant. These individuals must work coherently with all other agencies in the task force
to successfully meet the common goal of the task force. These individuals will primarily be tasked

with coordinating the investigative and “street” aspect of the operation.

Task Force Mission

The Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) is one of the world’s largest and potentially the most

violent street gangs. MS13 formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s and has grown and spread to

estimates of 50,000 to 70,000 members in over a half-dozen countries. (MS13 in the Americas,

2018) Within the United States, the number of members of MS13 has held steady at

approximately 10,000 since 2005. (Correa-Cabrera et al., 2018) Although the gang members

radiate across the nation, there is a strong presence in the Los Angeles area.

The mission of the Task Force: Salvatrucha (TF: Salvatrucha) is to identify members of the

various MS13 cliques within Los Angeles and the surrounding area, gather intelligence to share

with other law enforcement agencies, deter and reduce crime associated with the MS13 cliques,

and prosecute those responsible for gang-related or gang motivated crimes. The TF: Salvatrucha

will accomplish these goals through a robust partnership between several agencies to include –

federal law enforcement, state law enforcement, county law enforcement, local law enforcement,

the Department of Corrections, and the District Attorney’s office.

The multijurisdictional team approach allows for information gathering and sharing between

analysts and develops a diverse and influential path to combating crime and violence associated

with the MS13 gang. Due to the complexity of the different cliques, there is no central leader

within the MS13 gang. The TF: Salvatrucha will dedicate investigators to the different cliques

and establish a hierarchy within the clique. The TF: Salvatrucha is dedicated to fighting crime
and violence associated with MS13 and keeping Los Angeles and the surrounding area

communities safe from harm through this partnership.

Procurement Procedures

Task Force Salvatrucha will utilize these procurement procedures to document all

purchases for Task Force Salvatrucha. All receipts will be submitted promptly in order for all

agencies to receive reimbursement. Additionally, all receipts will be tallied at the end of the

month to ensure no overspending occurs. Grants funded all equipment and uniforms.

Facilities

Task Force Salvatrucha will utilize a separate building from the police department; these

buildings will be located throughout Los Angeles County. This building will have no marking

and is only accessed by Task Force personnel with keycards. The buildings will be funded by

grants received for this specific task force. Mara Salvatrucha 13 has a span of control in several

neighborhoods, and these secured buildings will be placed in the strategic areas where MS 13

activity is high. Based on reports (La Times), MS 13 currently has a stronghold on the following

areas, Wetlake, Pico-Union, Koreatown, and East Hollywood (www.Latimes.com).

Training

Every Gang Officer assigned to Task Force Salvatrucha will attend all gang training before

assuming their role in the task force. All records of training will be kept in a secure location.

Documentation is critical in defense against civil litigation (Bja.ojp.gov). Gang officers are

required to attend Gang Basics Course, and they will learn terms such as ‘Gang Motivated and

Gang Related and learn basic gang terminology used by MS 13 (Module 2. Presentation 2.1 Part

1). All officers assigned to this unit will be adequately trained to fill out an information card (FI
Card) on suspected gang personnel (Module 2 Discussion Board, FI Card). Classes such as

California Gang Conference will require attendance by every team member.

Equipment

Equipment utilized for this task force, such as radios, cameras, and personal safety

equipment, will only be individually issued to team members. Radios will operate on a specific

frequency, and camera equipment will be utilized to document clothing worn, tattoos, tagging

monikers, hand signs (Module 2. Presentation 2.1 Part 2). The task force will provide all

equipment to all agencies for distribution.

Vehicles

Members of the task force will only utilize all-black Crown Victoria with low-profile police

lights. Additionally, gang vehicles are equipped with special computers containing a database of

all documented MS 13 members (www.Ojp.Gov). This database will allow gang officers to gain

quick access to all information on MS 13 members.

Uniform

Members of the task force will wear jeans and black polo with clear lettering, “Gang Unit.”

Athletic shoes are authorized, and all personnel safety equipment will be worn at all times.

Office Supplies

All maps, diagrams, pens, pencils, ink, and office supplies will only go through one

vendor, will eliminate confusion, and all receipts will be turned in to Gang Sergeant of each
section. When office supplies are received, task force members will inventory all pieces for any

missing items.

Data Collection

Task Force Salvatrucha (TFS) adopts definitions utilized in the California Street

Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, otherwise known as the step act, (enumerated in

California Penal Code 186.22) (California Legislative Information).

Criminal Street Gang(s) Definition:

An on-going organization consisting of three (3) or more persons, having a common

name, mark, sign, or symbol. One of the primary activities of the criminal street gang is to

engage in the commission of crimes identified in Penal Code 186.22(e) and the members of the

criminal street gang individually or collectively engage in criminal activity (California’s

Criminal Street Gang (PC 186.22) Laws).

Criminal Street Gang Member(s) Definition:

A person who actively participates in any criminal street gang, with knowledge that its

members engage in, or have engaged in, a pattern of criminal activity, and who willfully

promotes, furthers or assists in any felonious criminal conduct by any member of the gang by

either directly or actively committing a felony offense, or aiding and abetting in a felony offense

(California’s Criminal Street Gang (PC 186.22) Laws).

Gang Affiliated Person Definition:

 Any person who is convicted of a felony committed for the benefit of, at the direction of,

or in any association with any criminal street gang, with the intent to promote, further, or assist

in any criminal conduct by gang members (California’s Criminal Street Gang (PC 186.22)

Laws).

Gang Related Crime Definition:

When a criminal street gang member is involved in a crime, regardless of their

involvement in the crime, or the motivation of the crime, the crime shall be determined to be a

gang-related crime (California’s Criminal Street Gang (PC 186.22) Laws).

Gang Validation:

Any person who admits to belonging to or affiliating with MS-13 criminal street gang can

be validated as a member of the MS-13 criminal street gang. Prior to completing a gang report,

TFS members shall ensure that each of the identified criteria has been documented through a

police report or a field identification card. Once TFS members have identified a person who

meets validation criteria they are then required to complete a follow up gang report including all

associated documents regarding the subject’s association to MS-13. Within this report, TFS

members shall ensure the following information is included within their report, the subjects

name, address, birthdate, gang moniker, gang tattoos, gang clothing or associated material, and a

photograph. After completion of each gang report, each TFS member will be responsible for

turning this report into the TFS supervisor who will ensure all information is entered into the

CalGangs.

Reclassification of Crimes:
 When a member of TFS becomes aware of a report involving an MS-13 gang member,

they must ensure that the report has been filed with the District Attorney's Office. After doing so

the TFS member will consult their supervisor as well as the District Attorney’s Office before

adding gang related enhancements. Should the District Attorney determined that gang

enhancement charges shall be added, they will follow up with the TFS member who will

complete any further investigation needed to ensure the enhancement charges are added. TFS

members shall gather all gang related reports on the specific individual to ensure all necessary

information is added to the original crime report. All of this information will be forwarded to the

vertical prosecution unit within the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

Unit Analytics:

The TFS will utilize the CalGangs database to track all validated MS-13 members and

associates. Once their information has been validated, the information will be uploaded into the

database and will be kept in the database for five years. If the validated member has no police

contacts and can prove no further gang involvement, the validated record will be purged.

Risk Management/Liability Procedures

Use of Force

Members of Task Force Salvatrucha (TFS) shall abide by the use of force policies set

forth by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and protected under Penal Code 835a. Officer

will only use force that is necessary, given the fact and totality of the circumstances known to or

perceived by the officer at the time of the event to accomplish a legitimate purpose. The

reasonableness of this force will be viewed from the perspective of a reasonable officer given the
same circumstances. All instances of the use of force will be documented appropriately by all

involved members of TFS and will have those reports reviewed and approved by the TFS

supervisor (California Legislative Information). In addition to the above directed regarding use

of force incidents, individual TFS members shall be aware of and abide by the use of force

policies set forth by their individual respective agencies.

Informant Definitions

Confidential Informant- A person who is given specific direction by an officer, for any

reason, whether on one occasion or many, in an attempt to secure information on criminal

activity; or requests any form of compensation for information on criminal activity, or tasks

performed (paid); or requests favorable consideration on a pending criminal case. In the case of a

citizen informant, who is providing information for the betterment of the community, will be

deemed automatically reliable. (California Legislative Information)

Restricted Use Informants- Subjects who are currently on any form of supervised release

shall be used only upon approval from the supervising agency. Informants under the age of

eighteen (18) shall only be used with the approval of a magistrate, the district attorney, and the

parents or guardians of the minor. The use of informants under the age of thirteen (13) is

prohibited. (PC 702.5) (California Legislative Information)

Informant Management

The utilization of confidential informants (CI) is often necessary to make significant

impacts on criminal enterprises. TFS members shall abide by the policies of the Los Angeles

Sheriff’s Department when managing an informant of any kind. Prior to working with an
informant, TFS members must conduct records check with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s

Office to confirm the subject is in good standing as a confidential informant. The TFS member

shall create and submit a CI file including a contract of expectations, policies, and a liability

waiver signed by the informant. This file shall also have a photograph, criminal history, and a

history of investigations involving the use of said informant. This file shall be given to the TFS

supervisor who will maintain the file in his office. This file shall only be accessible to members

of TFS, its supervisor, and the executive director. Each informant will be assigned to one

member at a time and the TFS supervisor must be made aware of any changes. All interactions

shall be documented in the CI file. Should the member need to meet the CI outside of the agency,

or off-duty, it shall be done with another TFS member present, and shall be documented in the

CI file.

Informant Payments

A TFS supervisor shall approve any and all payments made to CI’s prior to the payment

being made. Two members of TFS shall be present when the informant is being paid. A signed

receipt or “Chit” shall be filled out and signed by both TFS members present at the time of the

payment, as well as by the informant who was paid. A copy of this receipt will be kept in the CI

file.

Money Handling / Overtime

Any money seized during an investigation shall be placed in a pre-printed money

envelope including the amount and denominations inside. Any amount over $400 dollars shall be

counted by two members of TFS with the TFS supervisor present. Once completed, both TFS

members and the supervisor will seal the envelope and initial the seal. After this is completed,
the money will be kept secured in the property and evidence room. All TFS overtime shall be

approved by the TFS Executive Director and will be tracked by the TFS supervisor. The TFS

supervisor shall complete a report documenting overtime usage and submit this report to the

Executive Director quarterly.

Risk Management

All TFS members involved in any operation shall complete a thorough game plan

worksheet to include person, location, mission objective, violence potential, and contingency

plans. The TFS member will submit this gameplan to the TFS supervisor who will be responsible

for managing the risk associated with the operation and determine if they shall move forward. If

approved, copies of the game plan will be provided to the Executive Director and the on-duty

watch commander for that area.

Event Deconfliction

Members of TFS will utilize LACLEAR and WISN clearing houses to document all

activity within the task force, specifically in the event of any critical incidents, surveillances, or

investigations.

Training

All personnel with Task Force Salvatrucha will be required to undergo the following

training to comply with policy and procedure. Several other courses are required for personnel in

a specific role.

Required Training

- Gang Awareness Update-offered by C.A. Post. (www.catalog.post.ca.gov)

 - Gang Investigations- offered by C.A. Post. (www.catalog.post.ca.gov)

- Familiarization with MS-13 enforcement efforts, an article provided by Congressional

Research Service. History of MaraSalvatrucha 13 (www.sgp.fas.org)

Specific Personnel Training

- Intelligence officers are required to complete the online Street Gang Intelligence Course

provided by the Department of Justice. (Nationalgangcenter.ojp.gov)

- All sergeants assigned to the task force are required to attend leadership training.

High-Risk Training

- Due to small teams’ elements, all task force officers will attend a Tactical Emergency

Casualty Care. Please refer to LAhidtatraining.org, for classes available.

- Task Force officers will attend, small team tactics course. Please refer to

LAhidtatraining.org, for classes available.

Classes provided by LA Hidta will be paid for by task force funding; officers will be

provided with a room and per diem while attending training.

Routine Training

- Task force officers will attend Southern California Gang Conference annually.

- Task force officers will review the task force gang injunction policy annually.

- Gang Awareness Update-offered by C.A. Post. (www.catalog.post.ca.gov)

- Leadership training will be conducted and led by Task Force Sergeants.

- All officers will qualify quarterly with their department-issued firearms.

- Policy and procedure refresher training for all officers, training conducted annually.

Training Completion

- After training completion, Officers will give training certificates to their sergeants.
 - Sergeants will create a training portfolio for each task force member.

- All records are to be kept in a secure location with limited access

- All training records will also be scanned into the police department database.

Outreach Training

- Task force officers will conduct gang training for patrol officers during briefings.

- Task force officers will conduct FI Card and Gang injunction training for patrol officers.

- Task force officers will participate in the community meetings to answer any citizens'

questions or concerns about gang violence in their area.

Funding/ Budget / Total operation expenses

Task Force: Salvatrucha (TF: Salvatrucha) is an important tool in crime prevention and the

safety of the neighborhoods from the MS-13 gang. For the task force to be successful, it is

essential that the necessary funding is present to perform effectively and safely. The task force

can coordinate between contributing agencies to develop the best strategies to combat gang

activities by properly allocating funds. In 2018 the federal government issued fifty million

dollars to the program Project Safe Neighborhoods in the form of grants that allow regional task

forces to tailor their approach to the community's needs. (Bernstein, 2018) TF: Salvatrucha is a

regional task force that is complied with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The

task force will operate with several funding streams. Participating agencies will provide reliable

funding to assure the task force can function without interruption.

Further funding of the task force will be obtained through corporate partnerships, community

partnerships, non-profit partnerships, and vested community stakeholders. Additional funding

will be explored through the U.S. Attorney’s office in correlation with their Project Safe

Neighborhoods program. Support programs like the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task

Force (OCDETF) and Regional Information Sharing Systems may provide case-specific

funding. All funding acquired through partnerships will be directly utilized for task force

operation. In previous years the U.S. Department of Justice through a JAG grant has offered

$500,000 in our jurisdiction to assist in combating gang activities.

Budget

A well-planned budget will focus on the primary goals and objectives of the organization

and provide a financial and strategic approach that allows adaptability. (The Most Important

Things to Consider When Creating Your Association's Annual Budget, 2019) All participating

agencies must agree upon the proposed budget and commit to the task force's funding for

continued results. The following categories will make up the TF: Salvatrucha budget:

- Personnel expenses (salaries, overtime, benefits, etc.)

- Equipment to include vehicles, communication, safety equipment, computers, and

technology, etc.

- Investigative funds to purchase evidence, services, and information, etc.

- Support services include facilities, utilities, IT support, travel, training, etc.

- Prosecution of gang members

All personnel-related spending will be paid directly by the participating agency that employs

the task force member. Items that are not directly associated with the necessary expenditures for

TF: Salvatrucha (i.e., specialized equipment, vehicles) will be purchased if agreed upon by the

participating agencies out of any additional funds that the task force receives.
 The overall operating budget for TF: Salvatrucha is $4,200,000.00. Of that, $3,000,000.00

will be designated for the salaries of the 22 members of the task force. For training there will be

$200,000.00 for the year. Vehicle purchasing and maintenance will have an allotment of

$200,000.00, as most vehicles will be provided by the participating agencies. The cost of

equipment will secure $400,000.00 of the operational budget. Lastly investigative funds and

prosecution will total $400,000.00.

Total Operational Expenses

The operational costs associated with the adequate functioning of the TF: Salvatrucha

will be the responsibility of all participating agencies. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s will be

the primary agency funding the operational expenses, supplemented by the other agencies'

funding for personnel and equipment costs. Further costs associated with the task force

operations will be explored through partnership programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and

Safe Street Initiative. Local, state, and federal grants will be applied for, but the task force

understands they should not be relied on for primary funding. The total operational costs will be

strictly adhered to but are adaptable as funding is acquired.

Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures will be established to maintain structure, order, and guidance.

The policy and procedure manual will be readily available to task force members in PDF format.

The policy and procedure manual will contain standard operations, protocol for various

incidents, administrative and operational framework, amongst other task force-related

information. Policy and procedure shall be effective as soon as the task force member agrees to

the assignment.
 All task force members will create the policies and procedures and will adhere to them

unless otherwise directed. In the absence of a policy or procedure, the task force director will

establish a pro team policy or procedure as they see fit. If the policy or procedure is unclear, the

task force director will clarify and make a final decision.

The most updated copy of the policy and procedure will be disseminated to all task force

members via PDF format. In addition, the policy and procedures will be provided to the task force

member verbally and in writing during orientation. It is the responsibility of the task force member

to familiarize themselves with the content. Failure to comply, and sign as a form of

acknowledgment, the policy and procedures, are means for immediate dismissal from the task

force.

Task Force Operations

The Lieutenant will be responsible for overseeing the entire operation. The policy will

include a standard response to most critical and routine incidents. Refer to the Task Force Director

in the absence of a policy or unclarity.

Responsibilities, roles, functions, duties, and expected performance standards for task force

members will be identified by the Lieutenant and Sergeants (See Personnel Section). The

supervising Sergeant will document all event responses. The Lieutenant will compose a monthly

report for progress per Street Team, including event type, success/not a success, disposition,

number of narcotics/arrests, injuries reported to officers/agents/suspects, and an “other”

uncategorized information tab. Task Force members will complete a weekly report that will

include a short narrative of their productivity and progress on each case. Task Force members will

complete detailed daily reports for any critical incidents, uses of force, or job-related injuries.

Task Force Administration

 The Lieutenant is the acting Task Force Director. The Lieutenant will also serve as the

acting Public Information Officer for the task force. The Lieutenant will only address the public,

the media, or the higher administrative officials on any task force-related information. The

Sergeant with the most seniority will serve as the replacement Public Information Officer if the

Lieutenant is unavailable. The Lieutenant will delegate to the Sergeants any tasks as he sees fit.

The Lieutenant will have the Sergeants ensure that all task force members have the necessary

equipment to participate in the task force daily assignments.

The Sergeants will address any non-emergency issue related to any task force member

unless it is sexual harassment, work injury, or death-related. The Sergeants will oversee all Street

Teams and task force members. The Sergeants will have six different members (or more) assigned

to their command until the completion of their assignment. The Sergeants will keep track of

attendance for every member of their Street Team, scheduling, disciplinary actions, and report

reviewal.

Task Force members will comply with policy and procedures and any additional

requests/tasks assigned by a supervisor. In addition, Task Force members will uphold the task

force mission to the best of their ability. Failure to adhere to either of these requirements are means

for immediate dismissal from the task force.

Policy Approvals/Changes

The Policy and Procedure will be reviewed and updated annually by the leadership. Task

Force members will have the opportunity to submit proposals for additions or changes to

policy/procedure. The final decision will be made based on the decision made by the task force as

a whole. If no decision can be made, the Task Force Director will have the final say.

Process and timing for revising and updating the policy and procedure manual
 The process and timing for revising and updating the policy and procedure manual will focus

on research development to ensure the best practices will be implemented to successfully

disassemble the MS-13. The number of people associated with the gang, the violence they

conjure, the innocent people they traffic, and the number of drugs they sell will one day come to

an end.

First, we'll use a method of the Eightfold path to assist us with our decision-making process

in our research. The Eightfold path includes defining the problem, assembling evidence,

constructing the alternative, selecting the criteria, projecting the outcomes, confronting the trade-

offs, stop, focus, narrow, deepen, decide, and telling our story (Fritzvold, 2020).

After the appropriate framework has been completed, we will create a draft. After the draft,

we will revise and update any new empirical evidence such as statistics that we come across.

Two individuals will be in charge in making sure the new changes are up to date with the policy

and procedure manual, conducting the appropriate research, and communicating with the other

members. Weekly video chat meetings will be held every Monday at 10 in the morning. This will

be done in order to make sure all members are on the same page in which it will allow for any

changes and updates to be done more swiftly.

Participant input on policies and procedures

We will obtain participant input on policies and procedures through online meetings,

trainings, and surveys to ensure there are no conflicting policies and procedures within the task

force and unit operations. By allowing all members to have an equal say in what needs to be

changed, there will be fewer discrepancies in our task to conduct research and diminish the

violence associated with the MS-13.

 All members have an equal say and will unanimously vote for one person to be in charge to

gather all pertinent information every quarter. The member in charge during that quarter will

disperse all of the pertinent information to everyone involved. The work load will get spread

evenly giving everyone a chance to support our mission of dismantling the MS-13.

Manual distribution and how training on its contents be provided

The manual will be distributed by passing the information to local, state, and federal agencies

around the United States of America. The information will be passed through encrypted emails,

universal apps, and websites many agencies use to find out information. The goal is to keep it

within agencies so the gang itself does not have access to such information. The information will

contain law enforcement sensitive information that should not be seen by the public hence giving

access to those around who may be able to alter the documents. If any issues arise where there

are any discrepancies, a supervisor must be notified immediately. The supervisor will make the

appropriate notifications.

The training of its contents will be provided through monthly online training. Members will

be sent any and all updates immediately through their departments learning domain. The online

reading will have practical examples after the changes are made so members can prepare for the

best practices in law enforcement through the policy and procedure manual.

Operational Planning / Investigation and Prosecution Strategies

It is the policy of the Task Force: Salvatrucha (TF: Salvatrucha) to properly plan and

carry out high-risk operations, including participation in a regional deconfliction system, in order

to provide coordination, enhance the safety of members and the public, decrease the risk of

compromising investigations and prevent duplicating efforts. An operations plan is a tactical

plan that covers a specific event over a short period of time and is a blueprint for success.

(Murgado, 2012)

Operational Planning

Taskforce operations inherently involve a level of danger. Through forethought and

preplanning, the task force can reduce some of those dangers and may be able to control the

environment to the extent possible. Every tactical and proactive operation in which there might

be contact with a suspect will have a written operational plan with a dedicated on-site risk

manager. The risk manager will continually evaluate the operation, monitor changes, and

determine if the risk outweighs the reward. Operational plans will be developed from multiple

sources, including task force members, supervisors, intelligence analysts, undercover officers,

gang experts in law enforcement, patrol division, and probation/parole agents. Every operational

plan will be reviewed and approved by the TF: Salvatrucha commander before being

implemented. All operational plans will be briefed and debriefed by the task force commander,

and all members of the task force operational plan must attend the briefing and debriefing to

participate. All operational plans will be kept on file for a period of no less than three years to

ensure the task force can provide documentation, if need be, during legal proceedings and limit

the liability.

Operational plans will be in writing and include the following information:

- Statement of operational objectives, a case synopsis, and a plan of action.

- The incident number, date of submission, date and time of operation, type of operation,

location, municipality, target area map, Command/Chief, team leader, and lead agency

performing the operation.

 - An entry plan with assignments at entry, all personnel involved, along with call signs and

operations assignments, dedicated on-site risk manager, risk assessment, and

communications plan.

- Suspect(s)/Target(s) names, nicknames, demographics, photos, additional information

(weapons, gang affiliation, environmental hazards, animals, considerations), vehicles

information of those involved, along with photos.

- A contingency plan with emergency and abort signals, rescue plan, evacuation plan,

termination of the operational plan, pursuit policy and plan, closest trauma center with

assigned vehicles and officers to transport.

- Dedicated staging/briefing location, debriefing location, and necessary equipment and

vehicle checklist.

Investigation and Prosecution

The TF: Salvatrucha’s main mission is to find, apprehend, and prosecute MS13 associates

and members in the Los Angeles County area. Dedicated task force members, who will work

with the assigned Assistant District Attorney’s from Los Angeles County and the State

Attorney’s office, will thoroughly investigate the multiple cliques of the MS13 gang identifying

associates and members involved in crime. All evidence will be reviewed by the District

Attorney’s office and State Attorney’s office, along with a gang expert. Through this

partnership, TF: Salvatrucha can successfully prosecute and obtain sentencing enhancements for

those involved in criminal gang activities.

Critical Incidents
 All personnel with Task Force Salvatrucha will be familiar with the following guidelines

about critical incidents and media policy. Familiarization with these guidelines is critical to

mission success, and planning will minimize risk within the Task Force. A critical incident is

defined as, any officer involved shooting, a use of force resulting in death, all deaths of arrestees

and detainees, or any situation where life is at risk or catastrophic injury.

Critical Incidents Include

- Officer-Involved Shooting (www.bja.ojp.gov): Any discharge of a firearm from an

officer while conducting his police duties.

- Accidental shooting, any discharge from a firearm not intended to be discharged.

- Bodily injury, any type of injury that results in officers being transported to the hospital

for treatment.

- Traumatic events: Many variables, such as, mass shooting, horrific traffic accident,

officer injury.

- In custody death, the death of an inmate of an arrestee being transported to the jail

facility.

- A traffic accident involving a unit with injuries,

- Hostage situations, where someone’s life is in danger and a tactical team is needed.

Plan for Violence and Critical Incidents

- Delegate sectors of responsibility (www.Policeforum.org): Delegate certain parts of the

crime scene to have better control.

- Designate meeting locations for all units in case of civil unrest, a rendezvous point is

essential in a safe and close location.

- Accountability of all personnel present, ensure all officers are present before proceeding.
 - Designate a triage location, if possible (Active shooter incident): Designate a safe

location to bring the wounded.

- Provide the team with as much information as possible regarding the critical incident.

Critical Incident Checklist

- Emergency contact information of all Task Force members (updated information)

- List of any medical allergies that team members might have.

- Treat any critical injuries, if possible, prioritize injuries.

- Scene lockdown (Tape off sections where only law enforcement personnel can enter)

- Locate and identify: Witnesses and or cameras in the area

- Crime scene photos, all documentation of crime scene is critical.

- In case of an officer-involved shooting, take a safety statement and then transport the

officer to headquarters for debriefing.

- Officer Involved shooting activation protocol will commence shortly after a shooting and

officers will wait for shooting team to arrive.

- Availability of legal representation for all personnel involved (www.bja.ojp.gov)

Elements of Critical Incident Response

- What are we trying to achieve during this event (www.policeforum.org)

- Address immediate threats, any immediate threat of life will result with a police response

swiftly.

- Choose the best tactics in order to respond to threat safely

Media and Press release

- Any news media, reporters, photographers, or personnel associated with the press must

first get approval from the Chief of Police to know facts about an incident.
 - The Public Information officer will answer all questions or concerns from the media, if

PIO is not available, an officer with the facts of the case may answer questions.

- No personnel form the police department will make a radio or television appearances

without the approval of the Sergeant or watch commander on duty.

- All Social media postings will only be posted after approval from the Public Information

Officer.

- PIO will handle any emergency notification, If PIO is available. (smgov.net)

Confidential Informants and Investigative Funds

Confidential Informants (CI’s) serve as a great resource to aid in the operation of

apprehending dangerous criminals. “According to the Confidential Informant Guidelines, a

confidential informant or ‘CI’ is ‘any individual who provides useful and credible information to

a Justice Law Enforcement Agency (JLEA) regarding felonious criminal activities and from

whom the JLEA expects or intends to obtain additional useful and credible information regarding

such activities in the future’” (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General).

Policy and procedures of the informant asset

A CI’s role will be paramount in the overall success of dismantling the MS-13 gang. All

identities will be safeguarded as our investigations tie in with local, state, and federal laws in

regards to protecting the integrity and well-being of the task force, the intelligence unit, and the

officers. Personnel must remain cautious of the inherent risks associated with working with CI’s.

No personal relationships will be developed with CI’s, no promises or payments will be made to

the CI’s without the approval of the District Attorney’s office, CI’s must sign waiver forms, any
and all involvement with a CI shall be documented, and a thorough background check will be

conducted to inspect the credibility of the CI.

Training on informant policy

Personnel must attend a POST certified academy where they earn their POST certificates.

Furthermore, employees will be selected to attend a mandated 24-hour course (split up in 3 days)

to be certified in regards to working with CI’s. The course will be administered by the DA’s

office along with law enforcement agencies.

The training is intended to familiarize employees with their soon to be tasks of managing

CI’s and communicating with the appropriate personnel to share pertinent information.

Audit process

The captain of the operation shall monitor all activity and conduct weekly audits of CI

files. If multiple CI’s are assigned, the captain will designate two detectives to aid him or her

with the audit process. The detectives assigned will follow up with the captain after investigating

the CI files each week. The captain will relay the information to the DA’s office who will then

communicate with the prosecutor working with the informant. The DA’s office will document all

the information by keeping a log to monitor all CI’s information. The audit process will be

conducted on a regular bases monitoring informant contacts, information records, payments

made to informants, and all officer and informant interactions.

Elements of a confidential informant policy

- CI’s must be properly vetted through law enforcement agencies and the DA’s office.

- Having multiple deputies or officers when meeting with a CI is required, minimum of 2.

 - A release form of liability is required for the CI to read and sign, understanding the risks.

- All personnel interactions conducted with CI’s must be recorded through audio or video

recording. Under no circumstances will any interaction not be documented.

- Watch Commander approval is required for all business conducted with CI’s.

- All personal information regarding the identity of the CI will be kept confidential.

Furthermore, in the event the CI conducts any illicit criminal activity, any agreement set

forth with the CI will be terminated following criminal proceedings.

- Any discrepancies shall be immediately reported to a supervisor so the proper

notifications can be made.

Stakeholders

A vast number of stakeholders have a vested interest in the decrease of gang violence

conducted by members of the MS-13 criminal street gang. These stakeholders include, first and

foremost, the residents and homeowners. They live among the areas where MS-13 gang

members commit a crime and are forced to deal with the violent crime carried out in their

communities and must fear their children being recruited by leaders of this gang. It also includes

local law enforcement agencies, whose officers face increased and sometimes targeted risk from

members of MS-13. Lastly, it includes business owners who suffer from property crimes that

often cause damage to their businesses and violent crime that often puts themselves or their

employees at risk of death or severe injury. The TFS was created in response to the needs of each

of these stakeholders. Working alongside each of these stakeholders, TFS will provide a service

and a sense of safety daily. The TFS will regularly seek information from these stakeholders and

utilize this information to assess and possibly reassess the effectiveness of the task force mission,
ensuring it is always seeking optimal results. The effectiveness of TFS will depend in part on the

approval of these stakeholders.

Residents, schools, and community organizations

The residents of areas affected by MS-13 gang activity undoubtedly suffer physically and

mentally the most out of all of the stakeholders mentioned. It is within their communities that

they must experience violent crime and property crimes at a rate so high that it has become the

norm. Furthermore, their children often become the center of recruitment efforts by leaders of

MS-13, as they are regularly looking to increase the size of their impact. These gang members

frequent neighborhoods, schools, and parks, seeking young moldable children in an attempt to

draw them into a life of criminal activity. Due to this suffering, these residents, schools, and

community organizations should be at the center of the efforts of TFS and will regularly have a

voice in the task force mission of TFS.

Law enforcement agencies participating in TFS shall create 24-hour hotlines made available

to all residents to forward tips or information regarding any activity related to MS-13. These

hotlines will be monitored by dispatch, who will report all relevant information to all TFS

members. TFS members will also schedule and attend monthly meetings with community leaders

and residents to update the progress of TFS and to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of the

mission. The TFS will also maintain partnerships with the Los Angeles Unified School District

for information sharing and participate in monthly youth outreach and early intervention

programs.

Local business owners

 Businesses of all sizes within the area in which TFS operates will play a critical role in the

success of TFS. Members of the TFS will host regular meetings with owners of this business to

discuss concerns and gather feedback on whether task force efforts are positively affecting their

businesses. With these partnerships, TFS will better understand the effectiveness of the mission

and can utilize critical information gathered from business owners to enhance or re-evaluate the

mission.

A partnership with the Chamber of Commerce within each participating city has been

created. Through this partnership, we will regularly survey local businesses to determine the

long-term effectiveness of TFS operations.

Law enforcement community

Partnerships with entities throughout the law enforcement community will be integral in

the long-term success of TFS operations. With partnerships through participating agencies, TFS

has also partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Marshall’s Officer, the

Department of Homeland Security, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, and the Los

Angeles County Probation Department. The TFS will regularly communicate and participate in

comprehensive collaboration with all of these organizations to ensure daily information sharing.

Should TFS need assistance due to staffing shortages or more significant than average violence

potential, members of these organizations have agreed to assist in task force operations should

they be necessary (Fritzvold, Presentation 4.1 Gang Prevention and Intervention Part 1, 2021).

Task Force Performance Measurements

The task force will focus on measuring both outputs and outcomes connected to the task

force mission. The primary outcomes that will be used to identify the success or failure of task
force strategies will be the following: percentage of gang members prosecuted, percentage of gang

members prosecuted actually convicted, gang member's sentencing, the length of incarceration for

convicted gang, members, identifying the gang operation (drugs, murders, etc.)

disrupted/dismantled, specifying the number of gang operation (drugs, murders, etc.)

disrupted/dismantled, identifying the type of intelligence information sharing, identifying whether

that intelligence information shared led to an arrest/interception of criminal activity, tracking

where “good” intelligence information came from, identifying at-risk youth, labeling and

monitoring the at-risk youth with possible gang-affiliation, retaining demographic information and

last known “job title” on the at-risk youth last known to be affiliated with the gang, the results of

preliminary and subsequent surveys focused on gang-related issues from the community and

schools, the impact the task force has had in the gang-related crime areas worked, the comparison

between previous calls for service to the gang-related crime areas, shootings, murders, open gang-

related investigations, drug sales, etc. to when the task force was implemented.

Task Force Performance Measurements - Evaluation Measurement Tool

To help maintain the quality and integrity of the performance measurements, moving

forward the task force will utilize “PART” (program assessment rating tool) as the only evaluation

measurement tool. This tool is a comprehensive model that focuses on inputs, process, outputs,

and outcomes. PART is designed to evaluate results and the difference/impact the task force has

or has had.

The main outputs the task force will focus on are the cases initiated/investigated, number

of gang members arrested, quantity of drug seizures, types and street value for drugs seized, type

and quantity of weapons seized, type and quantity of assets seized, search warrants served,
intelligence meetings hosted and attended, number and types of entries made into the intelligence

database, and the number of gang members who have left the gang.

Youth Gang Intervention & Suppression

The task force will engage in youth gang intervention & suppression as part of the efforts

aligned with the mission statement. Early intervention prevents the onset of delinquent behavior

and supports the development of a youth’s assets and resilience; therefore, Sergeant #2 & Team

“Xray” will be tasked to oversee the youth gang intervention and suppression efforts. The main

focus will be to get rid of the cradle to prison pipeline and save young lives from being wasted.

Team “Xray” will identify and retain demographic information for at-risk youth who have

previous ties to the gang, or claim to have ties to the gang. Team “Xray” will label these at-risk

youth as “GenX”, to differentiate from other non-affiliated at-risk youth in the intelligence

database and in the California Department of Corrections’ juvenile files. Team “Xray” will also

ensure they collect their last known role in the gang. Team “Xray” will recommend to the court

that these at-risk youth be introduced and referred to a diversion program, which will allow them

the opportunity to leave the gang life in their adolescent years. Team “Xray” will be tasked to track

these at-risk youth’s progress throughout the diversion program. They will also track and report

any new gang related activity. Team “Xray” will work closely with the California Department of

Corrections and District’s Attorney’s Office to meet the task force mission statement standards.

Case Management

The purpose of the Task Force: Salvatrucha's (TF: Salvatrucha) case management is to

help ensure that police response to serious incidents involving MS13 gang activity is appropriate
to the needs of an investigation while maintaining substantive services to the community. The

TF: Salvatrucha case management policies and standards structure an investigation by providing

clear goals and objectives, establishing lines of responsibility and decision-making authority, and

creating infrastructure for the recording, storage, and sharing of information, and contributing to

operational efficiencies. To achieve the goals and objectives of the task force, the investigations

must be effectively planned and managed from the earliest opportunity to make effective and

efficient use of resources and protect the task force members and public from further risk.

Effective case management creates a criminal justice system culture of responsibility,

awareness, and appropriate collaboration. (Guiding Principles for Effective Case Management,

n.d.) The TF: Salvatrucha case management system will be fundamental in the overall success

of ensuring the goals and objectives are met. All case management policies and procedures will

be written in the task force manual. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office is the lead agency,

and they will handle the case management of the task force.

The case management practices in financial and human resources will be in accordance

with the task force’s overall mission. The task force commander will assign a task force member

to oversee all case management to ensure that personnel are consistent in documenting, selecting

appropriate targets, and assigning the proper team members to the cases. The task force member

in charge of case management will also ensure that the task force meets the desired performance

measurement expected from the team and the public. The task force member in charge will

monitor the case load of the task force members to ensure officers are handling appropriate

number of investigations. The task force member in charge will assign members to

investigations. The task force member in charge of case management will make sure each
member understands the policies and task force mission and requires each member to sign off

yearly that they have read the case management policy.

The TF: Salvatrucha case management policies will include:

- A formal case initiation and approval process

- Ensuring that target assessment is driven by the task force mission, and that target

assessment may be impacted by resource availability

- Considerations are given to human resources and financial resources

- Prosecution strategy and support

- Ensuring the safety of task force members and the overall community well being

- Appropriate deconfliction of cases

- A review process to ensure the task force aligns with the mission and meets the set goals.

The task force commander will be in charge of notifying all agencies involved either in the

case or the location where the task force will be operating to ensure proper communication

between agencies. Active deconfliction will result in safer operation for all law enforcement

personnel involved and proper management of operations. The task force member in charge will

contact the Western State Information Network as well as LACLEAR to ensure that all agencies,

local, county, state, and federal are aware of the planned operation. The task force member in

charge of case management will be required to make an annual tour of those facilities to have a

better understanding of how they operate.

The task force member in charge of case management will assure that all actions and

decisions made by task force personnel are in accordance with the task force mission and that

they don’t intentionally deviate from the mission. The task force member in charge of case
management will document any perceived deviations and notify the task force commander to

review and address with the task force member.

Task Force Design / Facilities / Equipment

Task Force Salvatrucha (TFS) comprises a collaborative inter-county network of law

enforcement agencies to prevent violent crime committed by members of the MS-13 criminal

street gang. TFS includes state, county, and city law enforcement agencies, community outreach

organizations, and other community leaders. The efforts of TFS will be documented and

overseen by a board of directors, made up of a designated leader from each participating agency,

as well as community leaders. TFS maintains a focus on prioritizing early intervention with at-

risk youth throughout the county, utilizing after-school programs and mentoring initiatives. TFS

plays a vital role in 21st century policing and focuses its efforts using traditional community

policing efforts. TFS will focus on the community's needs and utilize problem-oriented policing

to come to solutions that benefit all stakeholders.

Requisite Elements

TFS will be made up of strictly sworn peace officer personnel from various agencies

throughout the County of Los Angeles including support staff from communications divisions

within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. All TFS members will wear blue jeans, a

full Sam Browne gun belt, and an external vest with police markings while conducting

enforcement actions or activities. The task force will also have the ability to utilize plain-clothed

officers, who will have relaxed grooming standards for conducting surveillance or participating

in an undercover operation. The use of plain-clothed officers will be at the discretion of the TFS
supervisor. Except for plain-clothed officers, TFS officers are expected to wear an assigned

Body Worn Camera and abide by their respective agencies' policy regarding the activation and

recording of their BWC.

TFS will focus on developing partnerships with key community leaders throughout Los

Angeles County. Members must also ensure good working partnerships with local, state, and

federal Criminal Intelligence Units to include law enforcement agencies and intelligence units

within the California Department of Corrections. Utilizing these partnerships, TFS will maintain

open lines of communication with each entity to remain transparent with all information at all

times. The overall focus and goals of TFS will be understood by all stakeholders involved.

Scope and Expectations

The MS-13 criminal street gang has been described as one of the largest and most

powerful criminal street gangs in the United States. (Unknown, 2017) With large factions in Los

Angeles County committing violent crime, property crime, and actively being involved in

narcotics sales, the focus of TFS is to suppress the amount of crime being committed by

members of MS-13 through heavy enforcement action in communities in which the gang

populates. The focus of TFS will be to become experts on the MS-13 criminal street gang and

utilize this expertise to identify key leaders of the gang within Los Angeles County and

surrounding cities. Using this information, TFS members will regularly share information with

key stakeholders throughout the community and utilize this information sharing to educate

community members. Taskforce members can also use this expertise to help surrounding

jurisdictions identify subjects within the gang and have the ability to testify on cases throughout

the area as an expert of MS-13.

 With these expectations outlined for members of TFS, critical stakeholders on the board

of directors will meet once a month to discuss the efficacy of the current actions of the task force

and offer opinions on alternative solutions toward reaching the overall goals of the task force.

TFS members will maintain relationships with stakeholders outside the board of directors and

create opportunities for these stakeholders to offer feedback regarding the overall effectiveness

of TFS.

Task Force Salvatrucha will utilize all available resources available, whether public or private, to

assist their communities in combating any gang problem they may have in their area.

Additionally, task force members will partner with the community to best serve the residents of

the area they are working in.

Dialogue

- The task force will conduct community outreach to address gang issues. By holding

community meeting and educating the citizens of the current gang issues.

- The task force will identify critical resources to utilize for community outreach, such as

neighborhood meeting and community centers.

- The task force will maintain a relationship with gang member dropouts in order to assist

these transitioning members.

Capabilities

- The task force will create a partnership with the community to better tackle gang issues

such as, graffiti, and gang violence.

- Task force will designate Investigators, Intelligence teams, Graffiti teams, Intervention

teams. Subject matter experts are assigned to these teams.

 - The Task force will have the ability to conduct in-depth gang investigations on several

levels.

Support Roles

- Task Force will assist with resources supporting gang prevention and intervention.

- Gang Reduction & Intervention Partnership is a program to prevent kids from

participating in gang activity.

- Programs such as G.R.I.P will be introduced to parents and educators to better assist with

gang prevention (www.ocgrip.org).

- Community outreach engagements will be conducted to understand better the

community's needs about gang violence. What is currently the community’s urgent needs.

- Anonymous tip lines will assist with potential leads on cases. Stress to the community

that these lines are strictly confidential.

- Task force will create pamphlets for the community to educate them about gang graffiti

and other gang monikers.

Design Option

- Task force teams will be a gang uniformed suppression team.

- Task force will have several components such as Intelligence and Investigation teams

assigned to different areas.

- Specific teams will have particular roles in the task force. These roles will help the unit

focus on several investigations.

- Task force members can participate in particular cases based on their training and

experience with the gang.

 - The Task force will address community needs and law enforcement goals in order to

achieve a successful outcome (www.ojp.gov).

- The Task force will work hand in hand with community leaders to incorporate programs

for former gang members reintegrating into society.

The task force design will be equipped with several different components on each team.

These task force members who will serve the Los Angeles County region can add or take away

components as leaders see fit in their particular area of operation.

Task Force Participants

Justice community vested interest in the gang

The MS13 began their recruitment and development of their criminal organization in the late

1970s. The MS13 was formed in Los Angeles, California, where the gang's leaders primarily

focused on targeting young teenagers and Salvadoran refugees as their recruits. Over the years,

the gang has been known to be one of the most notorious gangs in the world. "The MS13 is one

of the largest gangs in the world. Operating in more than a half dozen countries across two

continents, the gang has thousands of members that have formed a loosely knit criminal and

social federation with a powerful brand name" (MS13 in the Americas).

Agencies that will be invited include: federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies

including but not limited to California Border Patrol (CBP), probation, parole, California

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), county Sheriff's, city agencies, and the

District Attorney's (DA) office all have a vested interest in the gang. These agencies will

contribute to the operation of dismantling the MS13 through the crucial resources they have to

offer.
Collaborative environment

Designated members or leaders will be assigned to attend weekly meetings via video

chat. The weekly video chat meetings will be set in place so all members can attend from all over

the nation. Each agency will keep a log and maintain copies of all ideas and pertinent

information that gets introduced in the meetings. The members that attend the video chat

meetings will share the information with their agencies. The collaborative environment is

designed to allow all law enforcement agencies to communicate with one another effectively. A

positive collaborative environment with effective and efficient communication will enhance the

probability of our mission becoming a success. Each member from the participating agencies

will have the opportunity to have an equal share in the task force by sharing ideas.

Inviting participants

A two-day convention will be held every quarter to potentially recruit new partners for the

task force. The convention will detail the mission, policy and procedure, funding, and model of

the task force. The conventions will be held at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department every

quarter detailing the dangers and the level of commitment needed to join the task force. Potential

partners will hear from current members and will benefit from hands on learning with scenario

training. Multiple booths will be set up at the convention educating potential partners on

different topics of the MS13 gang, the task force operations, and the partnering agencies. Inviting

participants will get the chance to take home pamphlets made by current members. These

pamphlets will have a detailed overview of the MS13 gang and the requirements needed to be

considered for the task force operations.

 Presentations will be made available to potential partners. By day two of the convention, the

potential members will partner up into groups to create a five-minute presentation of the key

facts they learned throughout the event. In addition, inviting participants will coordinate and

strategize how they will manage the task force as part of their way to show they understand what

is expected of members who play a role in the task force operations. The level of engagement,

involvement, and how much information was retained throughout the event will play a crucial

role in selecting new partners.

Performance Measurement System

The task force will utilize “PART” (program assessment rating tool) as the only

performance measurement system that ties outcomes to the mission. The performance

measurement system focuses on inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes, which will assist with

understanding the effectiveness and productivity aspects of the task force.

Additional Task Performance Measurement Systems

The PERF (Police Executive Research Forum) performance measurement system is

another system that the task force should consider. The PERF Performance Measurement System

emphasizes the collection and analysis of data on a broader range of performance outcomes beyond

the usual result of reducing crime. This approach allows agencies to measure the many different

ways modern law enforcement impacts a community. The PERF system also provides tools to help

measure progress toward meeting the expectations (measures and methods).

The PERF system meets similar criteria to PART in regards to performance measurement.

PERF focuses on the collection and analysis of data, precisely performance outcomes beyond the
usual outcomes. PART focuses on several outcomes, amongst other aspects that are not usually

measured. Due to the similarities between the systems and the possibility of PERF being easily

accepted by the community, the adoption of PERF should be highly considered. PERF is a non-

profit organization providing education to support law enforcement agencies, not directly linked

to a law enforcement entity. The PERF performance measurement system will provide precise data

for the community about how the task force meets expectations based on certain practices.

Data Collection & Dissemination

The task force will focus on a variety of information to demonstrate how the task force is

performing (see “Task Force Performance Measurements” in Stakeholders & Outcomes for

specific types of data). The prime focus for the data collection is the results of both the outputs

and outcomes connected to the task force mission, which will be generated with the assistance of

the PART performance measurement system.

The task force will focus on one system at this time, to avoid data overload and unclarity.

The performance data (see “Task Force Performance Measurements” in Stakeholders & Outcomes

for further detail on what is measured) will be collected in a timely manner to avoid inconsistency.

Street Teams and its assigned task force members will be required to include all pertinent

information that will be used to measure performance in every report generated. Failure to do so,

will result in a verbal consultation that will help the task force member further understand the

reason behind collecting the information and its importance.

All Sergeants will ensure that all data collected by the Street Teams abides by PART when

compiling their performance progress report to be submitted to the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant will

then utilize the performance progress reports to create an official finalized report, which will later
be presented to the city officials and higher command officials on a monthly basis. The official

finalized report will also be available to the community upon formal request to the Lieutenant.
 Distribution of Memorandum

Supervisors will ensure all task force members read and understand all policies and

procedures in this memorandum. Supervisors shall see that all task force members are aware of

the existence of this memorandum. A printed version of the Task Force Salvatrucha MOU will

be issued to all members of the task force or shall be given a copy on a USB drive or similar

device. It can also be found on the Department “P” drive.

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