A string of shootings and other violent incidents have led the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to declare that gang violence is on the rise. Four young men were detained Friday after a shooting at Westlake Center.

The police have yet to definitively identify this particular incident as gang related, but at least one of the detainees has suspected gang affiliations, SPD Gang Unit Sgt. Jim Dyment told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The gang unit formed in 1983 after an incident at the International District in which 13 people were killed. The unit deals specifically, but not exclusively, with gang activity.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the gang unit and the rest of the SPD were combating a wave of crime in which gang violence seemed epidemic. This wave coincided with a nationwide surge in violent crime, both of which were fueled by the burgeoning crack cocaine market.

Following a series of crackdowns nationwide, violent crime decreased dramatically. According to the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), which conducts surveys and reports in 56 major U.S. cities, overall violent crime rates have dropped 40% since their height during the 1980s wave.

SPD officials reported to The Stranger that gang violence in Seattle dropped 50 percent between 1993 and 1997, with incidents of drive-by shootings decreasing by 84 percent in the same period.

The gang unit has likewise gotten smaller. According to its Web site, the unit, which once included more than 25 detectives, has decreased in size to six detectives and one sergeant as its caseload has dwindled in the past decade. According to the SPD Web site, in 2003, nearly 150 gang-related incidents occurred. In 2005, the number dropped to less than 100.

Gang violence may be on the rise again, however. The FBI reported a 2.3 percent increase in violent crime nationwide between 2004 and 2006. Seattle Police reported to the P-I that there was a surge in drive-by shootings in 2006, a trend that has continued into this year.

There were two shootings within hours of each other in the Central District May 12. The first occurred on 28th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, the next on 19th Avenue and East Alder Street a few hours later.

A drive-by shooting, in which a gunman in a blue Dodge Neon fired on a group of people standing in front of a private residence, happened only blocks away on 19th near Alder June 1. No one was hurt in this incident, and no arrests have yet been made.

Because of the concentration in one particular area, police suspect these incidents are interrelated, with some of the violence being carried out as retaliatory strikes for previous incidents.

The June 8 incident at Westlake was the most recent and was one of the first to occur farther north than the other instances.

So far, the gang unit has seen 27 cases since the beginning of 2007. In May, the SPD made nearly 50 arrests of men, many of whom were gang affiliated, on various drug charges. As part of the crackdown, several homicide detectives have taken over cases for the gang unit so it can have more time investigating gang activity.

The prospect of resurgent violence has led leaders in the black community to speak out. Reverend Harriet Walden is a longtime activist in Seattle with both the Mothers for Police Accountability and The Silent War Campaign. The latter is a group that seeks to combat black-on-black violence with community outreach programs, focus groups and through raising awareness.

"The largest problem we have is a lot of young people [who] don't have anything to do," Walden said. "There is a lack of opportunity in their vision, and young people who feel they have no opportunity get into trouble."

Walden said that violence like this stems from much deeper causes than some are willing consider.

"Children are not born with AK-47s in their hands," she said. "We have to look at internalized oppression and racism, and the community [has to be] willing to work on it. I think the curriculum in schools has failed children. We have an education system in which our own children are not represented. Television is a problem, too. There's such a positive message going on out there, but the news doesn't bring it to us, so critical thinking is replaced by nonsense. There is just not enough positive. I'm not making excuses for people because, through all of this, I believe in change."

While the violence has occurred predominantly in the southern and central parts of the city, the rise in gang violence coincides with the spike in violent incidents experienced in the U-District.

"It's hard to say whether violence in our area is gang related, though we keep an eye out," said Ray Wittmier, UW police department assistant chief. "So far, we've had no confirmation that any incidents were related to gangs."

However, Wittmier does recount a past when gangs were a major problem around the University.

"There was a brief period when we had a problem with the East African posse group," Wittmeir said. "There were a large number of arrests, and that died down. Of course, way back in the '90s, gang groups were a big problem."

Whether the U-District will see an increased rate of violence or not, some police officers say that the greater Seattle area will.

Gang unit supervisor Lt. Ron Wilson told the P-I, "I think we're gonna find it's going to be a busy summer. I think it's picking up now."