Civil Gang Injunctions: What Can They do for Your City?

Civil gang injunctions are public nuisance actions that city attorneys or district attorneys bring in civil court to curb and disrupt gang-related criminal and noncriminal activities. Cities seek gang injunctions to intervene in, prevent and suppress gang activity in an affected neighborhood. Typically, gang injunctions not only prohibit already illegal activities but also impose restrictions on behavior of gang members that could lead to criminal acts, such as displaying gang colors or symbols or associating in public with other gang members. Gang injunctions provide critical advantages to police departments trying to disrupt gang activity, as well as to the residents living in areas afflicted by gangs. This article discusses the legal elements of civil gang injunctions and highlights the real-world experiences of two communities where this technique has been employed.

© 2011 League of California Cities. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the December 2011 issue of Western City magazine, the monthly publication of the League of California Cities. For more information, visit www.westerncity.com.

Please click here to read the full article, “Civil Gang Injunctions: What Can They do for Your City?” published in Western City Magazine, December, 2011.