Saturday, August 7, 2009:

Merced's Gangs

Eleven people in Merced County have been shot, stabbed or bludgeoned to death so far this year. In four instances, gangs were involved.

The gangs of Merced County have been around for nearly 40 years. By last count, there were 24 active ones with a total of 3,000 members from here to the Westside.

Eliminating gangs will likely prove more difficult as budgets for police, sheriff's and innovative partnerships shrink. To talk about the future of gangs in Merced County, "Off the 99" brought together District Attorney Larry Morse II, Livingston Police Lt. Chris Soria and Reuben Torres Jr., a former gang member from Los Banos.

Download the audio file.