Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s new Gang Task Force held its first meeting at the Utah State Capitol Wednesday.

The goal of the task force is to establish a statewide response to the rising problem of gang violence. Law enforcers, lawmakers, attorneys, judges and other state and local leaders attended the meeting co-chaired by Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller.

The task force was put together following several high-profile gang-related slayings in 2008.

• Wally Knapton, 49, the manager of the Family Dollar Store, 1145 S. Glendale Drive (1350 West), was shot and killed during a robbery in which the thieves made off with a mere $180. Knapton, a well liked citizen in the Glendale area, did nothing to provoke the shooting, according to police. Biu Benjamin Olive, 18, and 19-year-old Sarah Ataata, pleaded guilty to the murder in August. A 13-year-old was also charged in juvenile court. Olive, the gunman, who pleaded guilty to several charges, was sentenced to what turned out to be 31 years to life in prison.

• Maria Del Carmen Menchaca, 7, was shot and killed while playing on the sidewalk in front of her house during a drive-by shooting. Police say Menchaca was an innocent victim caught between two feuding gangs. She was on the corner of 800 West and Fremont Avenue (1100 South) when she was shot.

The task force will look at whether all gang issues have been addressed, as well as the full extent of the gang problem and how to deter juveniles from getting into gangs, said district attorney spokeswoman Alicia Cook.

"The mandate from the governor is to decrease gang violence and gang membership," she said. "It's not just about supporting law enforcement. It's also about addressing a community wide response ... how can we identify the at-risk population and prevent them from joining a gang?"

The task force would be much broader than the duties of local law enforcement, such as the Metro Gang Unit, Cook said. The hope is to be more proactive in addressing the issue than reactive, she said.

The task force was scheduled to meet again Jan. 22. The idea of adding school board members, DCFS, community organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and faith-based organizations was discussed Wednesday.

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