Panel OKs Plan to Expand Use of Gang Injunctions

Aiming to expand the use of a popular new tool in the war on gangs, a key City Council panel Monday approved strengthening the city’s legal staff to draw up and enforce more court injunctions against gang activities.

The Public Safety Committee approved hiring four lawyers and two support workers in the city attorney’s office who would be specifically charged with seeking court orders that forbid specified gang members to perform otherwise legal acts, such as keeping company with each other and wearing beepers.

“The general consensus in law enforcement is that injunctions work,” said the proposal’s chief sponsor, Councilman Richard Alarcon.

The proposal is scheduled to go to the full council after clearing the city’s budget and finance panel, which must find more than $500,000 a year to fund the positions.

Though pleased with the prospect of four new lawyers, both Alarcon and City Atty. James K. Hahn acknowledged that the measure falls short of Alarcon’s original $1.2-million proposal to hire seven attorneys for the gang injunction unit. Hahn, whose office has made expanding the unit its top budget priority for the next fiscal year, said there is no money for that many at present.

Five anti-gang court orders are in force in the city and more are proposed. They prohibit known gang members from engaging in otherwise legal behavior linked to illegal gang activity, ranging from congregating in public places to wearing pagers.