Judge approves Indio gang injunction

MyDeseret.com
January 10, 2011
INDIO, CA

A judge today approved a gang injunction imposing a ``safety zone'' and curfew in Indio.

Superior Court Judge Harold Hopp ruled there were grounds to approve the injunction, which stems from an extensive gang sweep last month.

Deputy District Attorney Kristi Daw said 126 people were initially named in a lawsuit filed by the District Attorney's Office, but one man was shot to death in February.

The named individuals are banned from associating with other gang members; ignoring a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew; selling or possessing drugs or drug paraphernalia; trespassing; reckless or unlawful driving; giving false information to law enforcement officers; intimidating or harassing anyone who lives, works or passes through the so-called safety zone; possessing a gun or illegal weapon; possessing graffiti or vandalism tools; loitering; flashing gang signs; or wearing gang apparel.

The ``safety zone'' covers 13.8 miles. Authorities say the area -- roughly from Burr Street southeast to Highway 111 and Avenue 48, with Interstate 10 as the northern boundary and Avenue 48 as the southern extreme --is home to 17 schools and seven parks.

The injunction follows a Dec. 7 sweep dubbed ``Operation Eastern Encore,'' which involved an estimated 1,000 local, state and federal law enforcement officers and targeted the South Side Indio, Campo and Jackson Terrace gangs in what officials called the county's biggest-ever roundup .

Law enforcement officials estimate there are nearly 700 gang members in Indio.

Some civil libertarians argue that gang injunctions are overly broad in restricting the day-to-day activities of citizens. But according to county prosecutors, the targeted individuals have been responsible for 518 crimes since 1998, including homicides and drug sales.

Injunctions similar to the one approved today were filed against the East Side Riva gang in Riverside (2007), the Barrio Dream Homes gang in Cathedral City (200 and the West Drive Locos and True Crime Boys gangs in Desert Hot Springs (2009).

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