St. Paul police gang investigators had been tracking violence involving the 18th Street gang for more than a year when new information deepened their resolve: 11 girls were to be "jumped in" to the gang

St. Paul police gang investigators had been tracking violence involving the 18th Street gang for more than a year when new information deepened their resolve: 11 girls were to be "jumped in" to the gang April 18.

They executed 17 search warrants on homes of people associated with the gang, but police decided to take a different approach from arresting them all, said Cmdr. Paul Iovino, who heads the gang unit.

Instead, police invited the teens and young adults, along with their families, to an informational meeting last Thursday at the Neighborhood House, a West Side social services agency.

"The message was, 'Parents, your kids are involved in gang activity, and it's not acceptable and won't be condoned in the city of St. Paul,' " Iovino said Tuesday. Various community organizations were on hand to talk about resources for getting the young people out of gang life, he said.

As for the girls who were supposed to be initiated into the gang, Iovino said, "To the best of our knowledge, we think we did thwart it."

Gang unit investigators heard April 6 from a St. Paul middle school about information that someone had given a counselor, according to an affidavit in support of a search warrant. Two women, ages 18 and 20, had plans to "jump in" 11 girls to the gang April 18 (Iovino said the number 18 holds significance to the gang), the affidavit said.

One concern was the potential for gang members to "sex in" new female gang members, Iovino said.