Police cracking down on crime in Northwest Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno police are out in force to combat violence, but the focused effort is tied to the city's latest officer-involved shooting.

The shooting happened on Fruit near Dakota in Central Fresno.

The man's name has not been released, but we have learned he is in stable condition.

The area is part of the Fresno Police Department's Northwest District.

A special operation has been underway here over the past few weeks following a series of gang-related shootings. According to officials, it's working.

The city's latest officer-involved shooting happened around 7:30 Thursday night.

Officers were patrolling the area near Fruit and Dakota when they attempted to talk to a man who was walking down the street.

Investigators say instead of stopping, he ran, pulled out a handgun and was tased twice before being shot once in the back.

The reason officers were there in the first place was because of an ongoing gang enforcement operation.

During a 28-day-period between May and June, officers responded to 11 shootings in the Northwest Fresno district, some of which were homicides.

As a result, the department's resources were all shifted to the area in hopes of bringing those numbers down.

"All of the day-shift motors are over here. All of the nighttime motors are over here, the violent crime intervention team is over here a lot. All of our canine handlers are over here patrolling," Sgt. Douglas Zavala of the Fresno Police Department said.

As of June 27th, the operation has netted officers 213 felony arrests and 13 firearm discoveries.

Police Chief Jerry Dyer estimates shootings have decreased by about 50 percent.

One man was pulled over Friday for not having a front license plate. A Northwest Fresno resident himself, he has noticed the added police presence.

"These cops make me paranoid. I get pulled over for my license plate. I'm shaking even though I have nothing to hide from it. That's just my lifestyle," Scott Walker said.

Officials with the department say the operation is scheduled until the end of July but could continue depending on what the numbers show.

"The bad thing about moving all of your resources to one area, is pretty soon, crime in the other areas are going to climb a little bit, so eventually you're going to move those resources back out city wide," Zavala said.

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