Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr hosted a roundtable discussion Wednesday with local, state and federal law enforcement officials and legal experts to talk about what he says is an alarming rise in organized crime.

“In America, nearly half of all violent crimes are gang-related,” Carr said in a news release. “Unfortunately, Georgia communities are not immune to this type of organized crime, and member recruitment is on the rise. I invited the leadership from several of our local, state and federal partners to come together today to discuss our current efforts and develop new strategies to crack down on this type of activity. We look forward to working more closely with all of our partners to protect our communities and put these dangerous criminals behind bars.”