Injunctions and Gangs in West Sacramento- The Woodland Daily-Democrat
Supervisors hear about continuing threat of gangs
DA's Office wants financial support
By BEN ANTONIUS/Democrat staff Writer
The airing of long, gruesome 911 call punctuated the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, part of a presentation on the effort to curb gang violence in Yolo County.
The tape, played by Deputy District Attorney Jeff Reisig, was used to illustrate the threat posed by gangs like the Broderick Boys in West Sacramento, where the call was made. He said gang specialists from city and county police forces have identified more than 1,400 members of various gangs countywide.
The presentation came a day after the West Sacramento Police Department announced that violent crime in the past months has dropped 17 percent as a result of stronger enforcement against gangs. In neighborhoods targeted by the injunction, the drop has been 26 percent.
Reisig urged the board to remain financially supportive of the effort and also reiterated his defense of a controversial gang injunction against the West Sacramento Broderick Boys.
District 2 Supervisor Helen Thomson said Yolo County "was in deep denial" for many years about the gang problem. McGowan, whose district includes West Sacramento, said the same.
"I, too, am very concerned about the issue," Thomson said.
The 911 call began with a man who says he has been attacked without provocation, sustaining injuries to his head, wrists and eye. The dispatcher gives basic medical guidance and tells him that police and medical crews are on their way.
However, as the call goes on, the assailants, apparently from the Broderick Boys, return and stab the man, his wife and another companion. As the dispatcher tries to communicate, the wife screams almost incoherently and eventually hangs up.
Reisig said the three were disfigured but survived, citing the attack as the kind of incident that can be prevented with a gang injunction. Federal authorities reported on Monday they had arrested 582 alleged gang members over a two-week period, targeting an estimated 80 violent groups they say have spawned street crimes across the country similar to West Sacramento's Broderick Boys.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a motion on behalf of several West Sacramento residents who say the injunction infringes on their rights.
Opponents have said the West Sacramento injunction prevents people tagged as gang members from attending legitimate functions that would involve a large gathering. The injunction specifically targets members of the Broderick Boys, creating a curfew and prohibiting them from carrying weapons, drugs or alcohol, trespassing or assembling in public with other gang members.
"Friends and family members can no longer go to family barbecues or attend each other's children's birthday parties," said community activist Martha Garcia in an ACLU statement. "They can't go to the movies together, they can't attend night school because classes get out after the curfew. This injunction harms the quality of life of our community."
DA's Office wants financial support
By BEN ANTONIUS/Democrat staff Writer
The airing of long, gruesome 911 call punctuated the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, part of a presentation on the effort to curb gang violence in Yolo County.
The tape, played by Deputy District Attorney Jeff Reisig, was used to illustrate the threat posed by gangs like the Broderick Boys in West Sacramento, where the call was made. He said gang specialists from city and county police forces have identified more than 1,400 members of various gangs countywide.
The presentation came a day after the West Sacramento Police Department announced that violent crime in the past months has dropped 17 percent as a result of stronger enforcement against gangs. In neighborhoods targeted by the injunction, the drop has been 26 percent.
Reisig urged the board to remain financially supportive of the effort and also reiterated his defense of a controversial gang injunction against the West Sacramento Broderick Boys.
District 2 Supervisor Helen Thomson said Yolo County "was in deep denial" for many years about the gang problem. McGowan, whose district includes West Sacramento, said the same.
"I, too, am very concerned about the issue," Thomson said.
The 911 call began with a man who says he has been attacked without provocation, sustaining injuries to his head, wrists and eye. The dispatcher gives basic medical guidance and tells him that police and medical crews are on their way.
However, as the call goes on, the assailants, apparently from the Broderick Boys, return and stab the man, his wife and another companion. As the dispatcher tries to communicate, the wife screams almost incoherently and eventually hangs up.
Reisig said the three were disfigured but survived, citing the attack as the kind of incident that can be prevented with a gang injunction. Federal authorities reported on Monday they had arrested 582 alleged gang members over a two-week period, targeting an estimated 80 violent groups they say have spawned street crimes across the country similar to West Sacramento's Broderick Boys.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a motion on behalf of several West Sacramento residents who say the injunction infringes on their rights.
Opponents have said the West Sacramento injunction prevents people tagged as gang members from attending legitimate functions that would involve a large gathering. The injunction specifically targets members of the Broderick Boys, creating a curfew and prohibiting them from carrying weapons, drugs or alcohol, trespassing or assembling in public with other gang members.
"Friends and family members can no longer go to family barbecues or attend each other's children's birthday parties," said community activist Martha Garcia in an ACLU statement. "They can't go to the movies together, they can't attend night school because classes get out after the curfew. This injunction harms the quality of life of our community."
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