Ditz

Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Inside the Bubble

Media Credit: Emily Jensen

To the untrained eye, Eagle Rock appears to be the teddy bear of Los Angeles County. Owners of tiny shops like Rockin' Baby and Owl Talk converge at the Swork coffee shop to slurp sweet blended drinks; charming emo juveniles flirt at the bus stop after classes at Eagle Rock High; churchgoers in their Sunday best float through the doors of the white stucco chapel in a sunny 1950s haze. One proprietor goes so far as to call it "a nice little country town," a snuggly oasis worlds apart from the Botox wasteland of downtown and Hollywood.

But the crack of gunshots on Avenue 51 in March shattered the candy coating around the Eagle Rock community. A report published in the Los Angeles Times explains that 29-year-old Jose Garcia incurred a fatal gunshot wound to his head in the heat of an argument with convicted murderer David Gonzalez. "Gonzalez and Garcia knew each other," police said, "and were members of the same unidentified gang."

As cute as the quiet residential streets of Eagle Rock may seem, gang violence is common in the area, and often rampant in neighboring Highland Park. From the racist hate crimes of the all-Latino Avenues gang, named for blocks like Avenue 43, to the violent methamphetamine market ruled by a gang known simply as Highland Park, the cozy familial feel that radiates from Taco Trucks and rolling fruit stands belies a harsh reality.

In February of 2007, Los Angeles city prosecutors obtained a permanent court injunction against the Highland Park gang, making it the 50th gang to be legally prohibited from congregating, loitering, trespassing, intimidating residents, and possessing weapons or tools for graffiti. "Highland Park is considered one of the most organized, most profitable and most dangerous gangs in Los Angeles," said Bruce Riordan, head of gang prosecution for the Los Angeles city attorney's office.

The injunction allows for the immediate arrest of gang members who violate its stipulations, including a 10 p.m. curfew and a 1,000-foot radius "safety zone" around campuses in Highland Park and Eagle Rock. Los Angeles has issued more injunctions against gangs than any other city in the country, solidifying its status as the American capital of gang violence.

An injunction, however, is not a guaranteed cure for gang violence. While city attorneys attribute a 33% drop in gang membership over the last five years to injunctions, attorney Rocky Delgadillo told the Los Angeles Times, "They're no silver bullet. Suppression needs to be joined by prevention and eradication if we are to succeed in the battle against criminal street gangs."

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools