Public Nuisances

Cities throughout the nation are plagued by the growth of criminal street gangs. To combat this growth, state and local governments have enacted a wide variety of legislation increasing criminal sanctions for gang behavior. In addition, state and local governments have turned with increasing frequency to civil remedies to augment their criminal law enforcement efforts. Gangs pose a particularly acute problem in California. Reports of gang violence are increasing, and gang-related homicides are at an all-time high in the Los Angeles area. Despite the enactment of new criminal sanctions to combat gangs and the use of existing law enforcement techniques at their constitutional limits, these efforts have not quelled the increase in gang-related crime. 8 Consequentiy, Caiifornia has been particularly innovative in using civil remedies to control gang activity. One such innovation is taking place in the cities of Los Angeles,..