NCJ Number
179733
Journal
Law Enforcement Quarterly Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Dated: Summer/Fall 1999 Pages: 34-37
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes how to obtain a civil injunction to stop crime and violence caused by gangs in specific neighborhoods.
Abstract
The basic steps of getting an injunction are: (1) Identify the problem; (2) Identify the defendants to be named in the injunction; (3) Identify and describe the target area; (4) Collect evidence; (5) Prepare the order; (6) Obtain the order; (7) Notify the defendants; and (8) Final disposition: trial/prove-up hearing. The successful implementation of a gang injunction requires constant vigilance in the target area; no violation should be ignored and support by police administration is key. A gang injunction is not the answer for every community or police jurisdiction; every neighborhood is different. Every attempt to use alternate law enforcement resources must be exhausted before an injunction is sought. Further, individual communities need to develop a follow-up strategy to the gang injunction. It does not do any good to target 20 gang members and have 20 new "wannabes" follow in their footsteps.