Press Release

District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced the creation of a Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. This Bureau merges the Office’s former Narcotics Investigations Bureau and Gang Violence bureaus. The Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau will work diligently to suppress violent crime in Queens County by identifying and prosecuting drivers of violence engaged in organized criminal behavior, including members of violent street gangs, narcotics distribution operations and firearms dealers.

District Attorney Katz said, “As your District Attorney, I promised to do everything possible to rid our neighborhoods of violent gangs, gun runners and drug traffickers. My Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau will stomp out crews that profit from selling instruments of death in our communities. At the same time, my Office will work with members of the community to try to make Queens a safer place, and to focus resources on helping our youths find meaningful outlets for their energy and hopeful opportunities for their futures. This reconfigured Bureau will use every resource available to ensure criminal networks, gang activity and other organized operations run by drivers of crime are dismantled and that the drugs and weapons they peddle will be taken off our streets.”

We are at the start of the summer season, said DA Katz, a time of year that usually has an increase in gang violence. The July 4th holiday period has been an especially troublesome time in years past, with a rise in shootings and casualties as a result of violent gang activity.

The DA said, this Bureau will respond to the challenges related to gang violence as well as breaking the tentacle hold of organized crime within Queens County. The Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau has a dedicated staff of assistant district attorneys, investigators and analysts razor-focused on making Queens a safer place for everyone.

The Bureau will aggressively pursue evidence through coordinated information gathering from our law enforcement partners as well as from members of the community. This experienced staff will analyze, retain and collect digital data that will help zero in on criminals and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

To lead this Bureau, DA Katz recruited long-time prosecutor Jonathan Sennett. Bureau Chief Sennett most recently was the First Deputy Bureau Chief of the Brooklyn DA’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. Chief Sennett also previously was a prosecutor with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force and before that was in private practice.

The Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau will operate within the District Attorney’s Investigation Division under the overall supervision of Executive District Attorney Gerard A. Brave.