DRASTIC MEASURES URGED TO RID AREA OF GANGS LANCASTER INJUNCTION WOULD RESTRICT DRESS, BEHAVIOR.Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News LANCASTER -- Amid growing concerns that gang activity is damaging the quality of life in Lancaster and a recent violent crime surge that has left some area residents unnerved, Councilman Ron Smith Ron Smith may refer to:
Smith said he will recommend at Tuesday night's scheduled council meeting that Lancaster explore imposing an injunction against suspected gang members that would put onerous restrictions on their dress and behavior, including a possible curfew. Smith said similar injunctions, based loosely on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act statutes, have been implemented successfully by several cities including Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Oxnard and Victorville. The impetus for such an injunction comes out of a growing frustration shared by public officials, law enforcement officers and community groups about the increase of brazen bra·zen adj. 1. Marked by flagrant and insolent audacity. See Synonyms at shameless. 2. Having a loud, usually harsh, resonant sound: "sudden brazen clashes of the soldiers' band" gang behavior and crime. Gang membership itself is not a crime. Smith said the intent of the injunction is to run gangs out of town. ``In my mind, this is war,'' Smith said. ``It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to take desperate measures.'' Smith said he expects the council to resoundingly re·sound v. re·sound·ed, re·sound·ing, re·sounds v.intr. 1. To be filled with sound; reverberate: The schoolyard resounded with the laughter of children. 2. support the recommendation, which would authorize city officials to explore ways to ``make it work.'' Smith said such an injunction would include laws restricting suspected gang members from wearing baggy clothing and from congregating con·gre·gate tr. & intr.v. con·gre·gat·ed, con·gre·gat·ing, con·gre·gates To bring or come together in a group, crowd, or assembly. See Synonyms at gather. adj. 1. Gathered; assembled. 2. together in public, as well as the imposition of a curfew. Violations of such an injunction would be prosecuted as misdemeanors. ``We want to put these guys under a microscope and make them so miserable that they'll want to leave,'' Smith said. ``Hopefully, they'll get out of the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley completely.'' Once the city staff makes its recommendation on how to employ such an injunction, Smith said, it would take about nine months to a year to enact once approved by the council. Lancaster sheriff's Deputy Bill Costleigh, a detective assigned to gang detail, said such an injunction could help, but cautioned that it would not be a panacea Some antidote or remedy that completely solves a problem. Most so-called panaceas in this industry, if they survive at all, wind up sitting alongside and working with the products they were supposed to replace. for a complex problem. Costleigh said although such an injunction would give law enforcement officers some useful crime-fighting tools, he noted that the vast majority of sheriff's deputies not involved in gang detail units might experience difficulty identifying gang members and articulating violations of the injunction without violating a defendants' civil rights. gideon.rubin@dailynews.com (661) 267-7802 |
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