LONG BEACH : Innovative Anti-Gang Program Expanded
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The district attorney’s office has expanded an experimental anti-gang program that relies on court injunctions to rein in suspected gang members to include Long Beach, officials announced last week.
Authorities could seek court action, for example, to prohibit suspected gang members from carrying weapons, trespassing on private property or staying out after curfew. Violators could face hefty fines and jail time.
Under a similar program enacted in Norwalk last fall, injunctions were issued against 22 members of a gang that authorities said had been terrorizing a residential neighborhood for months. Within three months, residents reported that gang activity had diminished, officials said.
In Long Beach, officials will initially identify gangs, members and their territories. Long Beach is home to at least 40 gangs with more than 12,000 members, according to estimates from the district attorney’s office.
Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti has assigned a deputy to work under contract with Long Beach officials to run the program, which will cost the city $96,000 per year.
Pasadena recently began a similar program.
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