VIPER successful for Merced arrests, DA says, Here's the next phase

Merced County will look for an agency to help run a half-million dollar program aimed at “at-risk” young people, the second leg of the law enforcement program responsible for 65 gang arrests earlier this year, according to the Merced County District Attorney’s Office.

The nearly year-long investigation, dubbed “Operation Scrapbook,” on May 10 netted more than $200,000 cash, 30,000 rounds of ammunition and 10 pounds of methamphetamine, according to District Attorney Larry Morse II.

In a presentation to the Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Morse said the Violence Interruption/Prevention Emergency Response (VIPER) program recruited, hired and trained six analysts that played a large role in the operation.

"This is not putting more police officers on the street, putting more boots on the street," he said. "This was to use intelligence data, because that is the direction the crime is going, especially more sophisticated narcotics trafficking, etcetera. You have to be on the front end."

Merced County Board of Supervisors approved Morse's request with a 4-0 vote on Tuesday for the second leg, which is to seek one or more agencies to identify at-risk young people and get them the help they need to steer clear of gangs. Supervisor Jerry O'Banion was absent.

"We believe that a lot of these kids are teetering," Morse said. "They can really go either way in what kind of life they're going to have as teenagers. We obviously prefer to keep them in productive and meaningful pursuits."

The new program for at-risk teens could be awarded to one or more organizations by the end of the year, he said. Morse said the program could benefit teens by keeping them in school and helping them to finish high school, noting dropouts are eight times more likely to go to jail or prison.

In all, VIPER was $4.5 million in state funding.

This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 3:59 PM with the headline "VIPER successful for Merced arrests, DA says, Here's the next phase."