23ABC EXCLUSIVE: Take a ride along with Bakersfield Police Department's gang unit

The Bakersfield Police Department's Special Enforcement Unit, also known as the gang unit, has been gaining attention in recent months. A massive gang sweep in December, new shot spotter technology placed in known gang areas and soon all gang unit officers will be outfitted with body cameras. 23ABC was given exclusive access to ride along with the gang unit to see what those officers do as they work around the clock to try and stay one step ahead and keep the community safe. As gang unit officers will tell you, there's no such thing as a typical shift.  A shift can include serving search warrants, making consensual contact with people, responding to violent crimes, making traffic stops or a mix of all of them and a quite night can change instantly.  Sergeant Ryan Kroeker, who worked in the gang unit from 2008-2011 knows how unpredictable a night on the streets can be.  "There's a lot to the life of a gang officer. A lot to trying to prevent these gang crimes from happening," he said.