Norwalk

Hoping to counteract gang violence, the City Council has approved $31,700 for extra weekend patrols by the county Sheriff’s Department.

City officials said the patrols have been needed since Jan. 5, when Joseph Hernandez, 27, was shot to death by gang members near Imperial Highway and Shoemaker Avenue. Hernandez’s sister Irene, 17, also was critically wounded in the shooting.

The council action, approved by a 4-0 vote, authorizes patrols by two deputies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.