City and Schools Join in Antigang Measures

The city and the Irvine Unified School District have endorsed an effort to stem growing incidents of gang activity in what is considered one of America’s safest cities.

At a joint meeting Tuesday, members of the two groups gave their support to a plan that would increase the policing of students and schools.

“There is gang dress on campus,” said Paul Mills, director of secondary and alternative education for the school district. “There are kids wearing colors. Our challenge is discovering what that means.”

The Irvine Police Department has created a gang suppression unit, called the Special Enforcement Team, to deal with the growing threat of gang-related crime and violence.

“We’re focusing on gang-related issues, auto burglaries, theft--any street-related crime if it has gang ties,” Police Lt. Tom Hume said.

The shooting of a teenager last month in the parking lot of the Palace Park recreation center is being investigated as a possible gang-related incident, Hume said.

The school district may set up a review board and hire a coordinator to oversee both attendance and child welfare. A committee of district and police representatives has also recommended streamlining policies to make it easier for police to question students on campus.

Mills also told school board members the district should be able to order the involuntary transfer of troubled students to the district’s continuation school.

“This is really significantly important in terms of getting the youngster’s attention,” Mills said.