ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr is marking the start of Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit, which takes effect on July 1, 2022.

“With our first-ever Gang Prosecution Unit, we are dedicating every resource available to disrupting the growing gang networks that are terrorizing our communities,” said Carr.

“We will serve as a force multiplier by partnering with local, state and federal law enforcement to ensure that these violent criminals are aggressively prosecuted and put behind bars. Every single Georgian – no matter where they live – deserves to be safe, and we are proud to join in this fight to protect our state, our families and our fellow citizens.”

As announced last month, the new Gang Prosecution Unit is led by Chief Prosecutor Cara Convery, the former Deputy District Attorney of the Fulton County Gang Unit. Convery started in her new role on June 16, 2022.

Carr recently sat down with WSB-TV’s Mark Winne to discuss the creation of the new Unit and Convery’s hiring. Watch their interview here.

As proposed by Governor Brian Kemp and supported by House and Senate leadership, Georgia’s FY 2023 budget includes $1.6 million to establish the new Gang Prosecution Unit. The creation of the Unit is also made possible by HB 1134, legislation that provides the Office of the Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute criminal gang activity statewide.

This new Unit is housed in the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and the Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit.