Union Gap has felt shielded from some of the gang violence seen in Yakima. That could be changing after a shooting over the weekend was the second in recent months. Action News found police are keeping tabs on the gang activity there. People in Union Gap are worried their quiet neighborhoods are starting to change. "I've noticed more groups of young boys walking around,” said neighbor Melissa John. “Not necessarily any certain colors." John doesn't know if the young boys she sees are gang members, or not, but she has seen more activity she blames on gangs. "There have been quite a few more tags on fences and side-streets and the building up here have been vandalized a couple of times with tags," said John. Union Gap Police are concerned that gang activity is escalating from taggings to shootings. Over the weekend, a man was shot not far from John’s home. These police photos show the evidence taken from the scene. It's the second shooting of this kind in Union Gap in just the last couple of months. The city used to see just one or two a year. Acting Police Chief Greg Cobb told Action News he's concerned the additional gang members moving in mean more violence for his city. Right now there are about 15-20 known gang members living in the city. The Chief said that in the past, troublemakers just lived in Union Gap, but caused most of their problems in Yakima. "Its only a matter of time before those drive-by's occur down here and those innocent victims are hit by stray bullets," said Cobb. For now people here, are not living in fear. "This area is pretty fine,” said John. “I feel safe here all the time." That's how police want it. So they'll keep a close eye on your new neighbors. Police identified where gang members live so officers can move quickly when there's trouble. Detectives say the biggest problem they face is that people aren't coming forward to report the activity.
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