BOSTON (CBS) – Father Doc Conway knows the violence of Bowdoin Street. He has dedicated the last five years to serving the community at S. Peter Parish.

He says he is grateful that the federal government is helping Boston Police try to make it a safer place, with Operation Concord.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Bernice Corpuz reports

Conway says, “This is serious, it’s going to take more guns off the street, hopefully this will cut down on the violence.”

More than three hundred federal, state and Boston officers arrested 27 men they say are members of two gangs that were terrorizing the Bowdoin Street and Geneva Ave neighborhoods. Today U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz stood with top law enforcement from the area to announce the arrests, and show some of the money, drugs and guns that were seized in this one and a half year operation. Ortiz said, “The front line investigators from the agencies with me have put their lives on the line to secure the evidence necessary to take down the individuals today.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Rick DesLauriers says, “Neighborhoods in Boston and several eastern Mass. communities are safer now than they were mere hours ago.”

Suffolk Country District Attorney Dan Conley told reporters, “This case is more than about drugs. This case is about violence. Particularly gun violence committed to protect those drugs and and many times to eliminate rivals.”

For Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, it’s personal. He met face to face with one of the gang leaders, Jonathan DaSilva, after a drug raid four years ago. Davis says, “I had a personal conversation with him and I said him, ‘John John, if you continue this, you are going to federal prison for a long time. Today I am delivering on that promise. I think all of the gangs in the city should understand that. “

Rev. Conway says in the past, after drug busts with state charges and lenient judges, the drug dealers were on the the street the next day. He is hopeful the federal charges will be more serious, and help make a more sweeping change in his neighborhood.