- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Business
- Politics
- School Zone
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
Lompoc’s Gang Injunction Could Serve as Model for Santa Barbara
While the idea of using a gang injunction to help Santa Barbara deal with its gang problem has been bandied about in the past, Police Chief Cam Sanchez announced last week that his department would examine the feasibility of such a measure.
Gang injunctions, which are essentially a restraining order prohibiting known gang members from congregating in certain areas, are often controversial, and some say they can have unintended effects.
As Sanchez gears up for a detailed study on whether to implement a gang injunction in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown has his own story to tell on the subject.
Having served as chief of the Lompoc Police Department from 1995 until he was elected sheriff in 2007, Brown was at the helm when the department adopted its own gang injunction five years ago.
“We targeted an area that was in the south central part of town, and it was an area frequented by a gang that we had found was involved in criminal activity,” said Brown, adding that the process of creating a gang injunction that is appropriate for a community is a very involved process. By targeting specific areas and people known to have engaged in gang activity, he said Lompoc police had hoped to avoid generalizations that wouldn’t help solve the gang problem.
After the first year, Brown said gang activity decreased by 5 percent, and that Lompoc has seen a 10 percent per year reduction in gang activity each year since then.
“It’s not that gang members went away — the gang problem is deep-rooted and multigenerational — but we found (the gang injunction) to be an effective tool,” he said. “It’s not a silver bullet that will solve all gang problems, but it’s a good tool to use in conjunction with other strategies. It’s only one prong in a multipronged approach. You still have to have very stringent enforcement of the law.”
Brown said that once the injunction is put into effect, word spreads quickly. Relatively few arrests occurred as a result of Lompoc’s gang injunction, but gang members who already had criminal records faced receiving parole violations — which for some meant the possibility of incarceration.
There also were effects that nobody saw coming. Manuela Venegas, who has been working with at-risk youth at Lompoc High School for the past 20 years, grew up amid gang culture and is no stranger to how it works.
“I do like the gang injunction. What I don’t like is when it targets the older folks and the kids are left to make their own rules,” she said, adding that when older gang members with longer rap sheets end up back behind bars as a result of a gang injunction, it can take away the gang’s capacity for self-regulation.
“When we take the OGs off the street, the little ones take over. When they’re young, they’re more likely to do stupid things.”
The best way to deal with the problem, Venegas said — echoing Brown’s assertion that there’s no easy answer — is to spend a lot of time with at-risk youths.
“In working with gangs, you have to let them know that you’re there to work with them all of their lives,” she said. “Sometimes it just takes belief in a student.”
Venegas said some of the best programs Lompoc has for at-risk youths simply put kids in a closer, more positive relationship with police officers. Whether engaging in art projects to keep them from tagging or playing sports with the officers, she said communicating with police, teachers and other members of the community has been helpful for the kids with whom she works.
Noting that there isn’t always a lot for teenagers to do in Lompoc, Venegas said a program called Youth Making Change has allowed 12- to 18-year-olds who might otherwise be out tagging to develop creative skills through various art projects.
By staying involved with specific projects and talking to potential gang members, Venegas expressed hope in continuing to work with law enforcement in chipping away at an old and stubborn problem.
“There’s no magic answer, and it’s a long process,” Brown said. “It took a very long time to get into the gang situation, and we’re sure not going to get out of it overnight.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Ben Preston can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules as part of Noozhawk's shared online community. Please keep your comments civil and helpful. Don't attack other readers personally, and do not use vulgar, abusive or discriminatory language. Use the "Report Abuse" link if a comment violates these standards or our Terms of Use.
» on 04.29.10 @ 09:00 AM
Since Santa Barbara became a sanctuary city our murder rate has gone up. Our murder rate is higher than that of Los Angeles. A much higher correlation than CO2 and temperatures.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 04.29.10 @ 10:15 AM
Liberals like Capps, Schneider, Wolf, Carbajal, Farr, Williams, always put the gangs before the lagal American families who obey the law??? Save our city..
Gang injuntions now—vote the Liberals out.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 04.29.10 @ 11:01 AM
It’s funny how whatever works for law enforcement requires ten time the number of officers and overtime! Gang injunctions will do nothing but make give criminals a reason to hate cops even more…therefore creating a need for more cops, who’ll be determined to make the problem worse for security sake…and so on and so on and so on….
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 04.29.10 @ 12:20 PM
Interesting article.
Too bad Sheriff Brown is so vague about how the Lompoc injunction helped his department lower, or at least flatten out, the expansion of gang activity.
Respondents sound like they want Sarah Palin to run all local, state and federal offices on the central coast.
And why not? She can shoot, and skin, an Elk, right?
I imagine there are lots of folks sitting around in Tampico or Tabasco right now, having furtive conversations like:
“I hear Santa Barbara is a ‘sanctuary city’.
Why not infiltrate up there, so we can join a street gang?
It’s only 2,500 miles, on foot, across the desert. Let’s leave today!
Their elected officials are “liberals”, not NRA types.
So, let’s sneak into Santa Barbara now before a ‘gang injunction’ (or Mike Stoker) take over. We can start our own gang. But let’s hurry, in case Steve Poizner gets elected.”
Yes, isn’t that how this County’s gang problems happen in real life, Tea Party style?
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 04.29.10 @ 02:51 PM
The people in any city could wipe out the little punks in one night, if they wern’t protected by our weak liberals. trust me. Give us the green light..
These are little punks who kill in packs..clown wearing bald headed punks..Vote out the DEMS for not protecting your family, and yes the punks will get to you eventially..Parking lot, street, Gas station—there all over like rats…
You have already flagged this entry.
» on 04.29.10 @ 04:55 PM
I agree with overpaid…let’s get rid of SBPD before they spread like the plague!!!
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 04.29.10 @ 05:25 PM
Gangs are like rats and need to be exterminated once and for all..
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 04.30.10 @ 08:55 AM
Ms. Venegas states that older gang members can keep the younger ones in check so it’s unfortunate when they are violated. That is so patently ridiculous that I had to read it again to see if I’d understood. These older gang members, who are supposed to keep the young ones from poor behavior, are guilty of crimes and guilty of bringing the young ones into the fold. These are not role models. It appears that Ms. Vengas’ goal is to change the behavior of the gangs from the inside by channeling their activity into socially acceptable, legal activity. She doesn’t seem to want to get rid of the gangs. I imagine she would tell me that it is impossible to do so and I do realize that gangs are deeply entrenched due to the multi-generational component. However, encouraging better behavior does not address or resolve any of the reasons that gangs exist in the first place. As long as gangs exist, there will be negative and illegal gang activity, therefore the only real solution to get kids out of gangs. Programs that do that will eventually. In addtition,law enforcement needs to be so tough that the youth no longer see the gang as the cool place to be. It would take a couple of generations to accomplish this. I believe that working with the at-risk youth, as she does, is the place to begin but I think they need to leave their gangs or nothing will change. Ms. Venegas should check out HomeBoy Industries for examples of men and women who have broken with their gang pasts. I am personally acquainted with a man who grew up in this background, went to prison and has made a conscious decision to leave his past behind. He is a productive, law-abiding citizen and proud of his accomplishments.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 05.01.10 @ 10:32 AM
I sometimes wonder if some of you people ever get out in real life and away from Rush, Laura and the gang of emotional thugs? It’s easy to sit back and take pot shots and spotlight any failures or perceived inefficiencies, particularly from the safety of a computer screen.
It’s unfortunate you weren’t at the Police Activities League function last night. There were over 300 civic leaders and active community members honoring a man who wears a badge that has done more to prevent gang problems and promote good citizenship than either chief mentioned here, although they have done a lot. This giant of a man works in the emotional, psychological and often times physical trenches on the streets. When most focus on control and containment, he brought in prevention and the opportunity for real and meaningful change over 10 years ago. PAL is now helping over 1,600 of our community’s youth so just think what it’s doing for the sanity of their parents and teachers! Officer Kent Wojciechoski is one of those who shun the spotlight, but shins in the eyes of the many he has touched. If you were there you could have heard a two tour Marine’s voice crack talking about Wojo directing his life to one of service.
Too bad the only thing some of us look for is the negative. There is a lot of positive going on out there as well and we need all the help we can get, boots on the ground so to speak, to keep us focused on finding and adapting the solutions.
Recognize that the message of hate and fear does not work, never has. “Gangs are like rats and need to be exterminated once and for all.” Is simply 1. fear talking and 2. impossible. Gangs have been around before we went upright actually. The only killer whale to be afraid of is a renegade, a single male teenager and interestingly enough, they run in packs.
What PAL and other youth programs have proven is what grandma told us that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Next time you see an officer or fireman, try saying thank you, the response will be a pleasent surprise.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 05.03.10 @ 06:53 AM
It sounds like the Police Activities League may be getting too close emotionally to the gang members. Kind of like Colonel Nicholson in the film version of Bridge on the River Kwai getting too close to his thuggish captors. Gang members should fear the police, instead of the law-abiding public having to fear gang members.
Activities to encourage youths to leave the gangs should definitely be pursued, but such activities should be led by social workers, not the police. Deportations of illegal alien gang members, and zero-tolerance for intimidating behavior/tagging/threats by gangs should be the focus of law enforcement.
But let’s play a game. Imagine that the local gangs were composed of white supremacist skinheads. Would our political leaders and Chief Sanchez be as sympathetic to these thugs in this case?
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 05.03.10 @ 08:48 AM
Great point-Renaldo
.
Skin heads—and we would have had gang injuntions 5 years ago—weak weak liberal pollitically correct leaders in office-
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 05.03.10 @ 03:33 PM
We are being invaded by illegal aliens and gangs, lets take our streets back. Who are Capps, Nava, Schneider, williams, Carbajal, House, Wolf. farr protecting. NOT our families.
Vote the liberals out..
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
More Local News »
Goleta Police Warn Public About Recent Home Burglaries
Witnesses report seeing a suspect going door to door in the neighborhood around Scripps Crescent Street
Approval from Santa Barbara County Supervisors the Last Step for Venoco’s New Pipeline
The board will consider an ordinance allowing the company to begin transporting oil via a pipeline that has already been built, instead of by barge
Pacific Storm Expected to Bring Rain, Wind Back to Santa Barbara County on Tuesday
Weather officials say South Coast could receive up to 1½ inches of rain with wind gusting to 30 mph
Santa Barbara-Goleta-Montecito Open House Listings: Feb. 5, 2012
Coldwell Banker, Prudential and Sotheby's post Sunday open house listings
Open House Listings: Feb. 4 & Feb. 5, 2012
Weekend open house listings for Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Carpinteria and Santa Barbara County
Weather: Fair 59.0º
Search Noozhawk »
