Nick Perna

Gang Investigations

Nick Perna is a Detective Sergeant in charge of the Street Crime Suppression Team with the Redwood City Police Department in Northern California. He has spent much of his career as a gang and narcotics investigator. He is a member of a Multi-Jurisdictional SWAT Team since 2001 and is currently a Team Leader. He previously served as a paratrooper in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has a Master’s Degree from the University Of San Francisco.

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How police can gain intelligence from gang graffiti
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Gangs use graffiti to mark their territory, mourn fallen members and challenge rival gangs
3 lessons cops can learn from gang members
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It would be shortsighted to think cops can’t learn a thing or two from gang members that we can apply when chasing them down
4 steps to understanding the structure of street gangs
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Gang investigators need to think globally, but act locally when handling gang cases with subsets
3 reasons it’s important to document gang contacts
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Like we learned in the academy, if it isn’t documented it didn’t happen
5 requirements for a successful gang task force
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Whenever agents, detectives, and officers are brought together from local, state and federal agencies, there are inherent difficulties that need to be addressed from the beginning
Why gang signs and symbols are tricky for investigators
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Gather information about gang signs and symbols from as many sources as you can manage, but know that what something means someplace else may not hold true in your jurisdiction
An argument for photo arrays in gang investigations
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Some victims and witnesses don’t have the best memories and may not operate at the highest cognitive level and they can get easily overwhelmed by the big pack of pictures that were handed to them
Patrolling in wintertime can be plenty dangerous
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Every year as summer nears I hear the same thing: “Better get ready, its getting warm out and they [gang members] are going to be out in force.” The thinking is that as the weather improves, days ...
Talking with gangsters: 2 do’s, 3 don’ts, and 4 reasons why you should
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Like the tax rebate check you get as your reward for your labors at tax time, conversations with gang members can pay dividends
Taking over the beat from a great police mentor
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Officer Harrington was a throwback to a bye-gone era, when cops were blue collar stiffs who hit the streets with the intent to enforce the law and keep the peace — everything else was secondary
4 good reasons to pursue gang cases
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Even when victims and witnesses won’t cooperate, gang detectives need to find other ways to put cases together — here’s why
The safest ways to interact with gang members
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Criminals enjoy home field advantage in their ‘hoods, so gang units need tactics to negate this
6 common gang legal defense tactics (and how to beat them)
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In my experience the defense generally attacks expert gang testimony during two phases
4 tips for success in providing expert gang testimony
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Good solid gang testimony at the end of a case can be the “final flurry” needed to get a conviction.