This is down from 10 murders in 1997 and 23 murders in 1996. The Detail also investigated 433 cases involving felony assaults, threats, kidnappings and suspicious deaths and officer involved shootings. The team initiated twelve investigations in 1998, submitted 237 guns for comparison to crimes, disposed of 252 firearms, returned 195 recovered guns to their rightful owners and traced the origin of 139 firearms. The Team covertly purchased or seized 180 illegal weapons from traffickers. They arrested 7 weapons traffickers.
Funding is for the first year of a three-year program.
In addition to police personnel, the S.T.O.P. Team has four Probation Officers, four Deputy District Attorneys and four District Attorney's investigators. They also work with family counselors from ShortStop and coordinate services with the Santa Ana Unified School District. The Gang Detail investigated 473 gang-related crimes in 1998. There were only 13 gang-related murders in 1998 compared to 16 in 1997 and 23 in 1996. 276 felony assaults were investigated.