L.A. Advocacy Group Speaks Out Against Echo Park Gang Injunction

Advocacy groups, like Youth Justice Coalition, are speaking out against the proposed Echo Park gang injunction, KPCC reported Monday.

Former City Attorney Carmen Trutanich proposed the 3.8 square mile safety zone in June. The safety zone will include Echo Park, Elysian Valley and parts of Silver Lake. It covers six local gangs and precludes them from congregating or otherwise associating in public areas.  

"Our residents have the right to enjoy all of our public areas, including Echo Park, free of gang crime and intimidation,'' Trutanich said in a press release. "This injunction will be an important tool in curbing the escalating criminal activity of these six rival gangs and bringing needed peace to our neighborhoods.''

Last week, new City Attorney Mike Feuer told the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council he supported the gang injunction, but as a part of a larger solution.

“You’ll see me focused on prevention, intervention and suppression,” he said.

Ana Muniz, with the Youth Justice Coalition, told KPCC the gang injunction would push out the neighborhoods' Latino families, many of whom have been living there for generations.

“Echo Park has been this battle ground of people opposing displacement,” she said.

The Youth Justice Coalition reports on its website that it is opposing the gang injunction for five main reasons:

1. Constant stops, pat downs, arrests and permanent criminal records for everyone named in the injunction, which will impact how they are seen in the community whether they are an active gang member or not.
2. Those named in the injunction may suffer negative consequences with employment, housing and school because of a widespread discrimination of those connected to the system.
3. The injunction will make it more difficult for alleged gang members who are also family members to be able to spend time together.
4. Oftentimes, community members who have former or current affiliations with gangs play a role in keeping peace but under the injunction intervention workers can face arrest for associating with alleged gang members.
5. Alleged gang members also face the threat of deportation because the LA County Sheriffs now check the immigration status of people entering a county jail.

Feuer said at the GEPENC meeting that he supports an avenue for gang members to get out of the gangs and there are county programs that can help them to get off of the injunction. That will give opportunities to former members who are actively working to get out by doing things like removing tattoos or getting job training.

“It doesn’t mean looking the other way or being soft on people who do bad things but saying there is a carrot as well as a stick,” he said

The hearing for the preliminary Echo Park gang injunction will be held on August 21 at 8:30 a.m. at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Hill St. (111 Hill St. in downtown Los Angeles).