The civil injunction - case study in the successful use of temporary restraining against street gangs in Redondo Beach, California

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, Nov, 1997 by Jeffrey R. Cameron, John Skipper

The level of support provided by community residents can mean the difference between success and failure for any law enforcement initiative. Perry Park residents supported the gang injunction process and currently participate in other programs designed to curb crime in their neighborhood.

ATTRACTING ATTENTION

Although the department initially attracted local media attention for its aggressive handling of an entrenched gang problem, the spotlight grew until it reached across the country. At an anticrime rally in Perry Park, the governor and the state attorney general personally congratulated members of the Gang Enforcement Team for their efforts. And, the Police Executive Research Forum selected the gang injunction program to receive an honorable mention for the 1996 Herman Goldstein Excellence in Problem Solving Award.

CONCLUSION

The injunction process worked in Redondo Beach for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it gave the department a useful tool to combat gang-related crime, which had been driving a difficult and longstanding set of interrelated problems in the community. It also demonstrated to the citizens of Redondo Beach that the police were, and are, willing to work with them to solve problems. Furthermore, it served as an example of the effectiveness of community involvement in the problem-solving process and, in fact, showed that community- and problem-oriented policing can work.

Likewise, the process demonstrated that inter- and intra-departmental cooperation can allow agencies to use available resources to solve chronic problems. Indeed, when the police, prosecutors, and the public work together, once seemingly insurmountable problems can be solved.

Endnote

Sergeant Phil Keenan, Redondo Beach Police Department, civil injunction.