Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron announced Monday the formulation of a Gang Task Force comprised of personnel from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, the States Attorney's Office, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, St. Mary's County Board of Education, and Department of Natural Resources.

Detective Russell C. Trow of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation will supervise the task force. The Task Force will run through September 2007.

Anyone with information or questions regarding suspected gang activity are encouraged to call the Gang Task Force hot-line at (301)475-4200 ext. 1951.

The announcement comes as the Local Management Board of St. Mary's County, Inc., a state-funded non-profit group, is holding a series of three meetings this week throughout the county with the goal of addressing gang growth and violence.

The hour-and-a-half meetings focus on concerns people have about possible gang activity in St. Mary's County and specifically youth gang activity. They are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 5 - 6. Tuesday's meeting will be held at the St. Mary's Governmental Center in the Commissioner's Meeting Room; and Wednesday's metting will be held at the Mechanicsville Firehouse.