Anti-Gang Unit to Hire More Prosecutors
Agreeing that gang injunctions are an effective tool in fighting street crime, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan Friday to add six members to the city attorney’s gang unit.
The expansion, which includes four attorneys and two support staff members, will cost more than $290,000 and will be paid for out of the city attorney’s budget for liability claims.
The injunctions, used to combat street gangs, have helped reduce crime in several areas, City Atty. James K. Hahn told the council. In the Rampart area, where police and prosecutors have focused on the 18th Street gang, gang crime is down 62%, Hahn said. In the Southwest area, gang crime also has dropped markedly, he said.
“These things work but they’re very labor intensive,” Hahn said.
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