Anti-Gang Program Unveiled by City Attorney

A rarely used law will be enforced in an effort to reduce intimidation of witnesses by gang members as part of a new anti-gang program unveiled Thursday by City Atty. James Hahn.

The program, which will be conducted by a four-member unit in the city attorney’s office, will also make proposals for new state and local legislation, including a bill that would punish parents for known gang activity by their children.

A separate advisory commission of 15 to 27 private citizens will be appointed by Hahn.

The new unit will begin enforcement of the peace bond statute, which requires any person found by a judge to have threatened another with violence to post a bond of up to $5,000. If that person cannot post the bond, he or she can be imprisoned for up to six months.

Innovative use of the statute, which will include close coordination with community groups and other law enforcement agencies, could double the city attorney’s current monthly load of 110 gang-related cases, spokesman Ted Goldstein said.

Among other things, the city attorney plans to use the statute against those who attempt to coerce witnesses of gang violence not to testify.

“We’re not concerned about clogging up the court system,” Hahn said, explaining that enforcement of the statute could add to the court caseload. A greater public danger is dismissal of solid cases against gang members for lack of witnesses, he said.

In the package of proposed legislation is a plan to hold parents criminally liable if they are aware of gang involvement and fail to curtail their children’s illegal gang activities. Currently, California law states only that parents have a duty to exercise reasonable supervision over their children.

Other reforms being considered are mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of possessing the drug PCP, making possession of a concealed fixed-blade knife a criminal offense and mandating that city retailers keep spray paint behind the counter in an effort to keep down the spread of graffiti.

Moreover, Hahn said he will push for a sentence-enhancement procedure to permit longer sentences for crimes committed as part of a gang activity and will ask that graffiti cleanup community service work be part of the sentence for gang-related crimes.