Civil Gang Injunctions in Los Angeles and Orange Counties: The War on Gangs

• In Event: Examining the Effectiveness of Approaches with Different Offender Populations

Abstract

Civil gang injunctions (CGI) are an increasingly popular tool used for controlling street gangs, gang proliferation, migration and violence. This paper compares and contrasts the use and effectiveness of CGIs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. One notable distinction is that the use of CGI in Orange County has focused primarily on Hispanic gangs, while in Los Angeles, CGIs have been used against Black and Hispanic gangs. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) believes that gang injunctions have had a remarkably positive effect on the areas and neighborhoods covered by CGIs. Recent increases in gang homicides in Los Angeles and Orange Counties contradict that outlook. This paper sheds new light about the effectiveness of CGIs in these two major metropolitan areas.

Author

• Gregory Christopher Brown, California State University, Fullerton