ATLANTA — Days after an Atlanta Police officer was shot six times by an alleged gang member, some of Georgia's top officials met to discuss how they can keep such incidents from happening again.
"Our men and women are literally on the frontlines every single day getting shot at," Gov. Brian Kemp said after leaving the latest Georgia Anti-Gang Network meeting Wednesday.
The network was created in 2018 under the umbrella of the Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr's office.
During the meeting Wednesday, top state and local law enforcement officials discussed what is being witnessed and done around Georgia to fight against gang crime.
"We are literally battling this every day, all across the state with GBI, whether it is prosecution going after the perpetrators," Kemp told reporters following the meeting. "It is just a huge issue in our state."
Gang activity is top of mind following the shooting of Atlanta Police Officer David Rodgers on Monday. Rodgers remains in the hospital after being shot six times.
APD has arrested 22-year-old Christian Eppinger. He is facing an attempted murder charge, accused of shooting Rodgers several times, including the backside of his head.
In arrest warrants, police accuse Eppinger of being a member of the Young Slime Life or YSL gang.
According to APD YSL has a stronghold on the Cleveland Avenue corridor in Southwest Atlanta where the shooting of Rodgers occurred.
Carr on Wednesday said a large portion of the violent crime problem in both urban and rural areas is tied to gang activity.
"The Georgia gang investigators have said over 60 percent of all violent crime in Georgia is gang-affiliated," Carr said. "What is happening is it is all about making money right now. Selling guns, drugs, human beings, cybercrime even stealing people's benefits. Anything to make money, that is what the gangs are doing: organized retail crime."
Data the Georgia Bureau of Investigations released to 11Alive shows in 2021 the agency opened 446 cases connected to suspected gang crimes across 100 counties. Those cases led to more than 170 people being charged with gang-specific crimes under federal or state laws.
The issue according to GBI data isn't simply one or two specific gangs. The investigations in 2021 involved 39 different gangs, including YSL.
In the Atlanta area, GBI has documented 170 different criminal street gangs.
"The GBI's Gang Task Force is working hand-in-hand with both federal partners, state partners, and local partners to work these gang cases around the state," said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. "One of the things we see consistently over and over when investigating criminal street gangs is the brazen attitude they have, what they're willing to put on social media."
A characterization that is reflective of YSL.
According to Eppinger's arrest warrants, YSL is known for illegal drug possession and sales, along with violent armed robberies.
The gang's members are known to commit high-profile crimes and then flaunt online for respect from other gang members.
Also in Eppinger's warrants, APD detailed YSL members on social media bragging hours after Rodgers had been shot and giving Eppinger recognition.
Four years ago while campaigning for his first term Kemp said the state needed to address gang crime and it is an issue he has talked about repeatedly while in office.
After changes on the state level for gang investigations and prosecution, more are currently being discussed and debated at the state Capitol.
Reynolds believes the state is rounding a corner, with more citizens, law enforcement leaders, lawmakers and prosecutors now recognizing the issue.
"The most difficult part was convincing individuals, convincing agencies, convincing citizens that we have a criminal street gang problem," Reynolds said. "It was very difficult for people to put their hands around because they may not have been exposed to it where they live."