Gilbert Goons are classified as a criminal gang. If only that meant something important
News this week that the Gilbert Goons have been classified as a criminal street gang seemed a “wow” moment in the making.
It’s more a “so what?” one.
The group of thugs that terrorized teen peers with blitz-style beatdowns for more than a year — one resulting in a killing in Queen Creek — met the definition of a criminal gang.
This after several months of analysis and discussion by Gilbert Police and several East Valley police agencies where the Goons had struck, a process aided by the state Department of Public Safety.
What's a gang label if it lacks consequences?
Law enforcement revealed little else meaningful out of the exercise.
Such as what the gang designation means in terms of the murder case and a host of other assault investigations.
Or how large or cohesive the Goons are, how they coordinated their actions or how they selected their victims.
Law enforcement wasn’t even forthcoming on when precisely the decision to classify the Gilbert Goons a gang was made.
Gilbert Goons won't face tougher penalties
Notable was the acknowledgment that for all the investigative work and analysis, there was insufficient evidence to submit additional charges relating to gang involvement that state law would permit.
Even more notable was the absence of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office at the press conference.
The gang designation is, after all, most impactful in the prosecution of members for crimes.
State laws allow for enhanced penalties in crimes that advance or promote a gang. And prosecution of those who participate in or assist a gang.
Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg acknowledged there’s simply not enough evidence to support either standard.
In other words, being a gang member in and of itself doesn’t make for a criminal case.
It was an overblown discussion to begin with
“Just having the name Gilbert Goons associated with a criminal street gang does not mean that a particular crime was committed,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told Arizona Republic reporters.
(Mitchell did say the gang classification could be used at sentencing, though it’s unclear to what effect.)
Gilbert must fire its chief: Over Goons response
I’ve maintained that the use of gang laws against the Goons seems unnecessary.
In many of the serious beatdowns, offenders already face aggravated assault and kidnapping — knowingly restraining someone — which are high-level felonies with serious penalties.
2 welcoming developments about the Goons
Matters of consequence aside, law enforcement’s announcement was noteworthy in a couple of ways.
First, we got an explanation for how the Goons constitute a street gang, despite lacking typical traits like gang colors and tattoos, or territory or hierarchy.
The Goons represent a “hybrid gang” — in this case, one whose members used alcohol and drugs, and “participated in a fight club type of agreement” before branching out to other crimes.
We also heard Gilbert Police acknowledge the menace that is the Gilbert Goons by name, a rarity.
That was most welcoming.
Reach Abe Kwok at akwok@azcentral.com. On X, formerly Twitter: @abekwok.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert Goons are a criminal gang. If only that meant something
