Is Gang Order a Good Option in North Hills?

In response to a recent surge of gang violence in the northeast Valley, City Councilman Richard Alarcon has proposed obtaining an injunction to restrict the movement and activities of gang members in North Hills.

The action would be modeled after the court-approved injunction against the 18th Street gang, making it illegal for two or more known gang members to stand, walk, sit, drive or appear anywhere together in a square-mile target area.

Those who favor the proposed injunction claim it would help reduce crime, while opponents claim the action has only shifted the crime problem to other neighborhoods.

Should an injunction restricting gang movement be obtained for North Hills?

Elizabeth Schroeder, associate director of the ACLU of Southern California:

“Our objection to gang injunctions is twofold. First, we still believe that these injunctions violate fundamental 1st Amendment rights, primarily the right of association. Second, we have shown, through a study we conducted after the Blythe Street gang injunction went into effect, that crime does not go down in the areas in which injunctions are enforced. In fact, crime went up slightly in that area and rose in the surrounding neighborhoods, because injunctions appear to shift crime into other neighborhoods.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon:

“Injunctions can be a very effective tool in dealing with issues of gang violence and street drug sales. If the city attorney determines it’s legal, I would be happy to use that tool. . . . The vast majority of the community, to date, have indicated that they’re in favor of using an injunction, if it qualifies. Most importantly, the injunction should not be viewed as a be-all, end-all to solve all problems in North Hills, but merely as a useful tool in a multifaceted strategy to empower the community to take back control.”

Father Gregory Boyle, director of Jobs for Our Youth and Homeboy Industries, Dolores Mission Church:

“I think that injunctions are a poor substitute for good policing. . . . [Officers] have to get out of their cars and walk in the community. . . . I also think in every injunction situation you have a harassment of kids in general who aren’t involved in gangs, but who may be thought to be because of their hair and clothes. [The injunction] opens the situation up to some abuse. My main issue is the fact that injunctions don’t address the root cause of gang violence. We must focus our energy on where gang violence comes from, or we’re never going to reduce or eliminate it.”

Steve Martinez, community activist:

“I’m not in favor of indiscriminate suppression, but I know that we have a serious crime and drug problem in North Hills that the injunction will help resolve, along with the self-empowerment of the community. There should be an overseeing board to watch the police part of this program, because if nobody’s there to watch them, there could be a rogue cop who doesn’t care who he hurts. There needs to be accountability. . . . We’re hoping the injunction will have a domino effect on improving the community and that it will open doors to creating prevention programs in the community.”