Gilbert leaders propose panel to look into scope of 'Goons' violence, police response

Reports of gang-style teen violence and assaults in the southeast Valley are leading three Gilbert Town Council members to launch a subcommittee to address residents' concerns over the "Gilbert Goons."

Knowledge of the attacks grew after The Arizona Republic began talking to parents and kids after the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek.

Many of the attacks in and around Gilbert were attributed to a group called the “Gilbert Goons,” they said. In December, the Gilbert Police Department reopened four criminal investigations involving teens, including attacks by Goons.

Community members marched in Gilbert Dec. 28 to call for justice for Lord’s murder and other violent attacks and to demand accountability for how the cases have been investigated. On the same day, Queen Creek police made criminal referrals against seven adults and juveniles to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in the beating death of Lord.

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Gilbert's elected leaders stood by their Police Department and its chief even as the council members moved to create a panel to look more deeply into the situation.

Councilmembers Scott Anderson, Chuck Bongiovanni and Jim Torgeson filed paperwork with the Town Clerk’s Office to discuss and approve a proposal to create a council subcommittee at Tuesday’s meeting.

The trio said they decided to create the subcommittee to bring transparency, identify the scope of the attacks and better understand a slow police response that has outraged parents. Potentially, the panel could direct staff to form new policies.

Torgeson told The Republic the move comes in direct response to residents' growing and widespread concerns. Some parents have pointed the finger at authorities, accusing them of failing to act and questioning if the Goons were being protected.

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The purpose of the subcommittee, if approved by a council majority, will be decided at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at 50 E. Civic Center Drive.

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Torgeson said he’s not trying to find a “bad guy” but the truth. He sees the subcommittee as an opportunity to help the community find answers and dispel misinformation.

“What I'm trying to do is that every possible angle in is looked at so that people's concerns are addressed. If there are improvements to be made, they will certainly be made,” he said.

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Subcommittees have to be made up of less than a majority of a council, which in this case is three. They are set up for a specific purpose to make recommendations or consider to conduct to be voted on “by the public body,” according to state law. 

The focus of the subcommittee will be determined at Tuesday's meeting.

Bongiovanni said he first wants the subcommittee to review the scope of teen violence in the town and dig into the data. From there, he said the city could evaluate how to work with the community to address its concerns.

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Now that criminal referrals have been made in Lord's case, Anderson said it was time to take a proactive approach. He hopes the subcommittee is “a catalyst to start working with (the) Police Department.”

The subcommittee is not there to “stir up” emotions in the community but to provide transparency, Anderson said. For example, the group could come up with new policies or direct staff to relaunch its listening sessions with residents.

Does the subcommittee idea have council support?

Mayor Brigette Peterson, in a written statement to The Republic, said she looks forward to the meeting to learn firsthand the “intent of the subcommittee on this topic.”

“I, like the public, appreciate the transparency in which council subcommittees operate, the goal-oriented nature of their existence and their ultimate objective of bringing forth a recommendation to the public body for action,” she said.

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Vice Mayor Kathy Tilque and Councilmember Bobbi Buchli held off from voicing outright support before they learn more about the intent at Tuesday’s meeting.

However, Buchli said she saw it as a “positive move.”

Councilmember Yung Koprowski told The Republic she supports the creation of the subcommittee.

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Although Koprowski will miss Tuesday’s meeting and won't be able to cast a vote on the motion, she said in a written statement that the subcommittee will provide an additional avenue for communication, adding, “We must work collaboratively as a community and a society to address and prevent such incidents.”

Does the council support its Police Department and chief?

The council largely stood united in its confidence and satisfaction with the Gilbert Police Department’s performance.

Tilque said, “I hope the community will provide our police with information and the time to process it to ensure action can be taken to eliminate teen violence within our community.”

Buchli said she supports the department creating its own internal task force to address teen violence “to put a quick stop to it.”

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The mayor did not respond to The Republic's questions asking about her confidence in how the department handled the investigations into the assaults. But a spokesperson later said Peterson "remains unwavering in her support" of Chief Michael Soelberg and the department.

In a statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Peterson thanked "courageous" individuals who have come forward to report a crime and encouraged anyone with information to file police reports with tips.

"I also understand that the most difficult thing to do right now is to be patient and that people are frustrated with the investigative process, but thorough investigations take time. I know the Gilbert Police Department and town leadership remain focused on addressing issues including those related to the safety of teens within our community," she tweeted.

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Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 3 Gilbert Town Council members propose panel to study 'Goons' violence