OCEANSIDE — A Superior Court judge on May 25 signed a permanent gang injunction against members of a multi-generational Latino gang.
The civil injunction granted by Judge Aaron Katz targets 29 members of Oceanside’s Center Street gang. This is the second court order against the gang; the first was granted in 2003.
Authorities said the Center Street gang has about 130 active members and associates. The gang is associated with the city’s Crown Heights neighborhood.
The injunction prohibits the defendants from associating with other gang members, wearing gang affiliated clothing — such as certain colors and sports jerseys — or flashing hand signs while in the areas protected under the injunction known as “safety zones,” which are broken into two parts throughout the city.
Both regions encompass areas around Interstate 5. The first area includes Mission Avenue, Division Street and Country Club Lane. The second region starts at State Route 76 from Interstate 5 and includes areas bounded by Carey Road, Canyon Drive, Mission Avenue and Civic Center.
Gang members who violate the civil injunction face criminal prosecution, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
San Diego’s first gang injunction was issued in 1997 against Oceanside’s Varrio Posole Locos gang, according to authorities. Oceanside has approximately 1,000 gang members and associates.
Authorities have said granting new court orders against gangs who already have civil injunctions in place is important to curb the gang activity of newer, often younger, members.
Following the approval of a civil injunction against two Escondido gangs in December, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, a proponent of the court order, said whenever the injunctions are granted crime and calls to 911 have decreased.
Dumanis said that previous gang injunctions in North County have been instrumental in making neighborhoods safer for “law-abiding citizens.”
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