Gary, Indiana has been a blighted industrial town for a while, but recently their problems have gotten much more severe. Gangs from the city of Chicago are moving in and they are waging war for control over Gary’s streets. Local gang members fight to retain their turf while their rivals from Chicago are moving in hoping to find new drug customers.
Violent crimes, including murders have raged out of control in Gary prompting the massive crime sweep that took place in early 2014. A local news channel tagged along one night to see the type of crimes that are plaguing the Northern Indiana city. Even though the city is part of the state of Indiana, it is considered part of the Chicago metropolitan area because of its location.
A car was pulled over because police believed the occupants were displaying gang signs. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody because he was driving without a license—again. Even though this was a relatively minor offense, having the suspected gang member off the street for the night may save a life.
Later in the evening, police pulled over another vehicle on a freeway that is a known route used by drug traffickers. They discover over 20 pounds of cocaine in the trunk; if sold on the street, the value would be hundreds of thousands of dollars. The driver, who is from Chicago, is arrested.
The goal of the massive crime bust is to get the criminals off the street along with putting a dent in the local drug supply. Dozens of people were arrested on this night and several others.