CITY MOVES AGAINST CANOGA PARK GANG.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

Intensifying the battle against urban terrorism, Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo filed for an injunction against a notorious Canoga Park gang accused of murder, robbery, drug sales, auto theft and graffiti.

Court papers were served on seven of 24 identified members of Canoga Park Alabama - one of the oldest and largest street gangs in Los Angeles. The lawsuit seeks to ban the gang and its members from associating with one another in public. If a judge upholds it, the injunction will be the fourth such action in the Valley Bureau - the most of any Los Angeles Police Department unit.

``The Canoga Park Alabama Gang has preyed upon and terrorized the Canoga Park community for generations,'' Delgadillo said. ``Today, with this injunction, we send a clear message to these urban terrorists that their criminal activity will no longer be tolerated.''

Police were looking for the remaining 17 members to serve with papers in the nuisance-abatement lawsuit.

Jim McDougal, a deputy city attorney assigned to the gang unit, said the gang - 565 members strong - was targeted because it is a top priority for the LAPD.

``They are urban terrorists,'' McDougal said. ``The use of violence and threat of violence to intimidate the community is terrorism and that is what the CPA inflicts on the Canoga Park community.''

West Valley LAPD Capt. Carol Aborn said the gang's criminal activity runs the gamut from vandalism to murder.

``We are definitely happy and support the injunction because it gives the officers the ability to essentially address a gang that is a known threat to the community.'' West Valley Councilman Dennis Zine said residents in the community are afraid to go out at night and are victims of intimidation.

``They just run amok and do as they see fit,'' he said.

Zine said he welcomes the proposed injunction as a means of reducing the gang's violence in the community.

``It gives officers a greater ability to enforce the rules and regulations,'' Zine said.

The injunction would cover a ``safety zone'' of 4.65 miles, which the gang claims as its turf. Prosecutors filed the lawsuit Tuesday with 70 records of criminal conviction, including 22 convictions for violent or serious felonies that qualify CPA as a criminal street gang.

The injunction follows three others granted in the Valley.

Prosectors filed the first gang injunction against the Blythe Street gang in 1993. The injunction, which encompasses portions of Devonshire and Van Nuys police divisions, has led to about 65 arrests since the court granted a preliminary injunction against the gang in April 1993 and 10 arrests since prosecutors obtained a permanent injunction in February 2000, said Deputy City Attorney Jule Bishop.

An injunction filed against the Langdon Street gang in March 1999, which encompasses mostly the Devonshire Division, resulted in 33 arrests since it was made permanent in February 2000.

LAPD Detective Robert Peloquin said the Langdon Street injunction allowed officers to investigate a potential violation of the court order and turn up other crimes in the process.

``So many times what happens is officers observe someone in violation of the injunction, and they'll initiate contact for that ... and many times that results in many more serious crimes revealed,'' Peloquin said.

A third injunction in the Valley was granted against the Pacoima Project Boys. The injunction, enforced as of Aug. 22, netted eight arrests that resulted in three convictions and other cases still pending, McDougal said.

Prosecutors will soon appear in court to obtain the preliminary injunction and are hopeful that will help reduce crime in the West Valley.