Hearing Is Today on Injunction Against Gangs
Some members of the Venice Shoreline Crips have renounced their gang membership, and with the help of the Nation of Islam have pledged to build legitimate businesses rather than selling drugs.
Despite that pledge, a temporary injunction against 38 members of the gang is expected to be issued today in Santa Monica Superior Court.
The injunction would set a curfew of 10 p.m. to sunrise and ban the gang members from publicly gathering in the Oakwood section of Venice.
The Nation of Islam and other activists have helped hire a team of attorneys to represent the gang members at the hearing.
Police say that the targets of the injunction are violent gang members responsible for dozens of shootings and years of dealing crack cocaine. But the Oakwood representative of the Nation of Islam says that image will change through a new Nation of Islam program that emphasizes self-improvement, job training and community building.
Stan Muhammad said he and other community activists developed the jobs program that will eventually employ gang members in car detailing, computer consulting, landscaping and cleaning offices.
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