Santa Ana – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has proactively filed a motion to dissolve 13 active gang injunctions against 317 individuals across Orange County from being restricted by the injunctions’ requirements, including associating with known gang members and wearing known gang clothing, in a specific area claimed by a criminal street gang. The injunctions were implemented between 2006 and January 2015.
Assembly Bill 333, enacted on January 1, 2022, significantly narrows what can be legally considered a “pattern of criminal gang activity” under Penal Code § 186.22 and changes the procedure for trial on gang enhancements, now requiring prosecutors to provide evidence of a pattern of criminal gang activity involving more than one gang member. At the time that each of the Orange County Gang Injunctions were signed by the Courts, a pattern of criminal gang activity by individuals could alone support a gang injunction.
The decision to dissolve the 13 gang injunctions was made after careful consultation with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the police chiefs of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Fullerton, Orange, and Santa Ana who patrol the previously enjoined gang territories, as well as members of the community. There has been no law enforcement objections to this action.
The request for the dissolutions are without prejudice and the People can seek new injunctions in the event new gang activity occurs.
“After numerous audits and years of proactively removing individuals from these injunctions, we are now satisfied that these 13 gang injunctions have served their intended purpose and have now sought their dissolution. Gang injunctions are not intended to last for perpetuity; they are designed and implemented to correct criminal behavior, and it is clear that these 13 gang injunctions have served that exact purpose,’ said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “We are constantly reevaluating the tools we have in order to protect our communities in the most efficient and effective way possible. These injunctions proved to be an incredibly powerful vehicle to protect people who have to live in gang-infested neighborhoods with those who terrorize and cannibalize their own neighborhoods through criminal street gangs.”
The 13 gang injunctions the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has moved to dissolve are:
- Boys From The Hood Criminal Street Gang – 06CC10916 – Anaheim – initiated February 9, 2006
- Santa Nita Criminal Street Gang – 06CC06903 –Santa Ana – initiated November 3, 2006
- Varrio Viejo Criminal Street Gang – 07CC19689 – San Juan Capistrano – initiated January 25, 2008
- Varrio Chico Criminal Street Gang – 07CC19690 – San Clemente – initiated January 25, 2008
- Orange County Criminals Criminal Street Gang – 30-2008 00107172 – Orange – initiated September 26, 2008
- Orange Varrio Cypress Criminal Street Gang – 30-2009-00118739 – Orange – May 14, 2009
- Hard Times Criminal Street Gang – 30-2009-00325327 – Garden Grove – initiated January 28, 2010
- Jeffrey Street Criminal Street Gang – 30-2010-00363220 – Anaheim – initiated June 25, 2010
- Family of Latin Kings Criminal Street Gang – 30-2011-00444493 – Anaheim – initiated March 30, 2011
- Fullerton Tokers Town Criminal Street Gang – 30-2011-00449392 – Fullerton – initiated May 23, 2011
- Crow Village Criminal Street Gang – 30-2012-00599218 – Stanton – initiated December 10, 2012
- East Side Anaheim Criminal Street Gang – 30-2012-00611844 – Anaheim – initiated January 14, 2013
- Townsend Criminal Street Gang – 30-2014-00727728 – Santa Ana – initiated January 15, 2015
Gang injunctions remain a lawful crime prevention tool, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office reserves the right to implement additional gang injunctions in the future in conjunction with local law enforcement.
In partnership with local law enforcement, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office continues to prioritize gang crime prevention and early intervention by dedicating resources to the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP). OC GRIP has been, and continues to be, an important tool used to reduce the pervasiveness of gang activity in Orange County.
