Pueblo police will begin releasing weekly posters targeting wanted, gang-affiliated criminals as part of efforts to bolster the city’s .
The initiative, which includes involvement from the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, is set to begin Friday and will run indefinitely.
Each poster will feature two fugitives with high-bond warrants and some link to the city’s gang activity.
“We know those individuals have been responsible for a lot of the crime,” said Sgt. Eric Gonzales, a police spokesman.
Violence in Pueblo has soared over the past two years, pushing the city’s per-capita homicide rate , a Denver Post analysis found. Police blame an ongoing gang war and a dearth of officers available to address the problem.
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Police have identified more than 1,000 gang members in Pueblo.
Gonzales said in conjunction with the wanted poster project, police have begun working with prosecutors to communicate better about arrestees with gang links. The expectation, he said, is that the court system will recognize repeat offenders and issue them higher bonds when taken into custody.
Police hope the initiatives will aid officers heading into the busy spring and summer months when crime rates typically rise.
“We’re just trying to get ahead of it,” Gonzales said.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
