SUPERVISOR KNABE ANNOUNCES GANG INJUNCTION AGAINST EAST SIDE LONGOS
2001 Press Release from Supervisor Don Knabe, 4th District County of Los Angeles
SUPERVISOR KNABE ANNOUNCES GANG INJUNCTION AGAINST EAST SIDE LONGOS
Long Beach, Thursday, November 30, 2001 – Los Angeles County Supervisor and Long Beach City Prosecutor Tom Reeves announced today that the Long Beach Superior Court granted the request for a permanent injunction against the East Side Longos street gang and 23 of its most active members.
“I work closely with cities throughout my District to improve the quality of life in every neighborhood,” Knabe said. “We need to insure that our residents feel safe throughout the community. Using Los Angeles County funds means the injunction didn’t cost the citizens of Long Beach anything.”
More than a year ago, Reeves asked for a law enforcement grant of $95,000 to fight gangs. “I helped with the gang injunctions five years ago and I knew I didn’t have the budget to get the work done,” said Reeves. That is when Supervisor Knabe stepped in and provided the total grant money needed.
Gangs are not only a problem in Long Beach. National law enforcement surveys in 2000 show that gangs plague more than 4,700 cities in all 50 states. These surveys also report that there are some 25,000 gangs with over 650,000 members, and the problem continues to grow.
The East Side Longos injunction uses police officer declarations as the source of information to establish the boundaries for two “target areas”. These two target areas are the locations where the effects of East Side Longos activities are the most concentrated. In these target areas, the injunction prohibits gang members from gathering together in public with other gang members, drinking alcohol in public, possessing guns, knives, clubs or other weapons and generally committing anti-social or criminal acts.
“My Gang Officers will make good use of this injunction,” said Chief of Police Jerry Lance. “Although we make numerous arrests and get many convictions, our efforts alone aren’t enough. We need every legal tool at our disposal to stop the nuisance behavior that ultimately leads to serious crimes.”
Reeves complimented those involved, “I want to commend every member of the Long Beach Police Gang Unit for their tremendous efforts.”
