Gang violence falls in Palm Beach County as law enforcement focuses on prevention: After tough laws and harsh jail terms, focus turns to discouraging new members.

Byline: Jerome Burdi

Feb. 15--Gang violence killed fewer people in Palm Beach County last year, and investigators credit tougher laws and stiffer jail sentences. Now they're turning more attention to stopping new members from joining.

"We can't arrest our way out of it," county Violent Crimes Task Force Lt. Michael Wallace said. Drive-by shootings with assault rifles, so common here over the past few years, are down. Gang-related homicides locally dropped in 2008 to 34, down from 44 in 2007, according to the task force. As Palm Beach County saw a 3 percent drop in gang-related violent crime, Broward County has seen a spike in gang activity with 80 to 100 gangs operating there, up from about 50 to 75 gangs five years ago, law enforcement officials said. Palm Beach County …