The first round of a crackdown on gangs in Selma and Dallas County resulted in four arrests.

The arrests came Friday when a task force organized by Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson targeted Craig Field and Selmont, which are both suspected of gang activity.

“We’re working to keep the neighborhoods safe, and hopefully we can keep [gang members] from doing all of this shooting and other violent crimes,” said Larry Colston, commander of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force. “We’re just trying to keep the people protected.”

The four arrested were 22-year-old LaBarry Durell Aaron, 38-year-old Bryant Omar Beal, 21-year-old Alexander Burton and 29-year-old Latoya Denise Ellis.

According to Jackson, all four arrests were gang related.

“We expect more arrests, and of course they plan to keep on sweeping these areas in and around Selma,” Jackson said. “We plan to run all of these gangsters and gunslingers out of town.”

Aaron was charged with probation violation, along with first-degree assault and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. He was given no bond.

Officers confiscated a Glock 9 mm handgun from Burton and charged him with carrying a pistol without a permit.

Beal was charged with first-degree unlawful possession of marijuana, and Ellis was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana.

“The crime task force is doing a very good job of making the citizens feel safe and cleaning up these areas and basically getting these guns and drugs out of the area,” Jackson said.

The task force is made up of multiple law enforcement agencies that are teaming up to increase man power.

“The more agents you have, the more agencies, the better,” Jackson said. “The coordination has been phenomenal with the way they help out each other. It is just a wonderful thing to see these agencies getting along.”

Among the agencies that took part in Friday’s raid were the Fourth and 17th Judicial Circuit Drug Task Forces, the Selma Police Department, the Perry and Wilcox County Sheriff’s Departments and officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Jackson said he expects more agencies to get involved as the raids continue. Selmont and Craig Field will continue to be targets for the task force, but Jackson said they will also focus on the George Washington Carver homes, Church Street and an east Selma neighborhood known as Smokey City.

Jackson said the raid has drawn a positive response from citizens that are tired of crime.

“Everywhere I go people say they are glad something is being done,” Jackson said. “Everybody is tired of all the violence, gangs and drugs. People are just fed up with it, and they are glad the problems are being tackled.”

Colston said the task force has relied heavily on information from the public on gang activity, and he encourages people with information on gangs, drugs and other illegal activity to call the Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force at 874-2540 or 683-5001.