Thousands of Angelenos whose movements, clothing and even relationships were tightly restricted under gang injunctions were released from those court orders this year, marking a dramatic reduction in the use of a crime-fighting tool once hailed as an innovative answer to the city’s violent street gangs.
The purge of names comes amid growing debate about whether the injunctions still make sense in an era of declining crime and gang activity.
Officials took the actions after a joint audit of the gang injunction rolls was conducted by the Los Angeles city attorney’s office and Los Angeles police in 2016.
“These individuals, while once active gang members, no longer pose a threat to the community. Many have steered away from gang life, having grown older and more responsible … while others have left the neighborhood and no longer frequent the limited geographical area that the relevant injunction covers,” city attorney spokesman Rob Wilcox said. “Still others are in prison, while some have passed away.”
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