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LA Chief Bratton Unveils New Gang Policy

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 11:10:29 AM EST
Tags: William Bratton, gangs, Los Angeles (all tags)
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Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton has unveiled a new approach to fighting gang crime.

The strategy is to concentrate on the gangs causing the most violence, to have the courts impose "stay away" orders as conditions of probation to make it easier to return violators to jail and to use the abatement and nuisance laws that allow the state to close and seize properties where gang members congregate.

Thoughts?

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    LA Chief Bratton Unveils New Gang Policy | 8 comments (8 topical)

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    Give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke! (none / 0) (#1)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 11:17:43 AM EST
    That's what God recommends.

    (from the song "When the president talks to God")

    New forfeiture laws. Just what's needed-NOT. (none / 0) (#2)
    by Bill Arnett on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 11:51:45 AM EST


    In Portland Oregon they just moved the problem (none / 0) (#3)
    by JSN on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 11:59:25 AM EST
    when they used similar tactics. But some people don't care as long as the problem is moved out of their neighborhood.

    I am not being critical of the police because the potential for someone being killed is very high and they have to keep on the gang members nerves all of the time.

    My thoughts? (none / 0) (#4)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 12:38:26 PM EST
    I think there is too much gang crime in the Valley - where my business is and where I lived for 10 years - so by all means, let's try something new.

    SUO, I think that sometimes we don't need to... (none / 0) (#5)
    by Bill Arnett on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 01:48:39 PM EST
    ...try something NEW as much as we just need to return to the very basics of law enforcement.

    Community-based policing with officers out on foot patrols in certain areas is still the fastest way, IMO, to gather intel on who and what and where the problems are within a community, and to form community SUPPORT for clean-up/out actions by police.

    This "new" program sounds like the SOS, but the addition of new forfeiture laws will almost inevitably result in innocents person's property being seized along with the properties of the bad, and I just think THAT is a step backward - we've seen how well it has worked in the War on Drugs.

    BTW, which Valley?

    Parent

    Bill (none / 0) (#6)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 02:19:15 PM EST
    Fair enough, by "new" I meant something different from what they're doing now, since the results of what they are doing now seem to leave significant room for improvement.

    The property forfeiture concern is certainly valid, although if some innocent's property is seized along with that of the bad, as you described, and that seizure itself prevents a violent crime - which is the whole purpose of the tactic and Bratton's goal - the issue gets a little murkier to me.

    Do not the legal owners of the mistakenly seized property have recourse?

    Anyway, the San Fernando Valley, where the linked article says some of the gangs Bratton is targeting are located.

    Parent

    Stay away orders.... (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 06:10:52 PM EST
    kinda bother me.  If the crime wasn't serious enough for jail time, or a person is released from jail...can you really expect them to stay out of their own neighborhoods?

    And as always, I don't like making it a crime to hang out with your friends.  I realize gang violence is a problem...I'd just feel better about it if the focus was strictly on "real" criminal activity like murder, robbery, assault.

    A new approach would be to legalize drugs and hit the violent gangs in the pocketbook.  This just seems like more of the same old, same old.

    I have only questions. (none / 0) (#8)
    by qwerty on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 07:08:04 PM EST
    What costs more, enforcing these new measure or putting more cops in the neighborhood?  Because during the cycles when we have cops in our neighborhood in force (it cycles) the activity really quiets down, the crack heads and hookers can't be found, and things are mellow.  But three weeks later, it's back to the norm.  If it's six of one, I'd rather just have more cops in the neighborhood-- I KNOW that works.

    I know nothing about forfeiture and how it works.  Most of the houses that are centers of frolicking and fun in my neighborhood are rented.  What happens in that case?

    The only thing I do know is that legalizing pot would do wonders to reduce neighborhood activity and save money that could be used to fight ACTUAL crime.

    LA Chief Bratton Unveils New Gang Policy | 8 comments (8 topical)

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