| For Immediate Release January 16, 2013 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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LAW ENFORCEMENT OBTAINS 12th ORANGE COUNTY GANG INJUNCTION AGAINST VIOLENT ANAHEIM STREET GANG
*This is the fourth gang injunction in the City of Anaheim
ANAHEIM – Members of a violent Anaheim criminal street gang have been permanently enjoined from terrorizing the community and acting as a public nuisance, marking the 12th injunction to be brought against Orange County gangs and the fourth in the City of Anaheim. Investigation and legal work on this injunction began in March 2012 in response to decades of violent crime by the gang and numerous residents pleading with law enforcement to eliminate the gang presence so that they no longer have to live in fear.
The service of the injunctions today, Jan. 16, 2013, was a cooperative effort between the Anaheim Police Department (APD) and Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) Bureau of Investigation. A permanent injunction was signed Jan. 11, 2013, by the Honorable Charles Margines against the gang and APD will enforce the injunction.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Eckermann prepared the injunction on behalf of the Gang Unit of the OCDA.
“The families and community members in these neighborhoods have asked law enforcement to help after being terrorized and victimized by this gang,” said District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. “They have the right to live free from fear and deserve our efforts to use every available legal tool to take back the streets for these good, hard-working people.”
WHAT IS AN INJUNCTION?
A gang injunction is a civil order that restricts or prohibits documented gang members from participating in specific acts or activities that may not be inherently criminal within a designated area, or “Safety Zone.” The terms are designed to curb intimidating or harassing behavior. If a member of an enjoined gang violates the terms, he or she will be arrested and face prosecution. The case may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor for disobeying a court order and the defendant will be placed on gang probation terms or be sent to jail for up to six months.
This injunction names the gang as the defendant. The gang injunction subjects all active, documented members to prohibitive terms including a restriction that prohibits any association between members of the gang. Association includes standing, sitting, walking, driving, bicycling, gathering, or appearing anywhere in public or public view with any known member of the gang (except while at school or in church). The terms also maintain that there can be no intimidation, use or sale of drugs, consuming alcohol in public, guns or dangerous weapons, fighting, trespassing, blocking free passage.