King County Council mulling anti-gang ordinance
SEATTLE -- The King County Council is considering an ordinance that would crack down on gang activity by making it a crime for known gang members to enter certain "gang free zones."
Right now it's estimated that a whopping 10,000 gang members operate in King County. The sheriff's office says certain blocks and entire neighborhoods are hot spots for gang activity. If a new ordinance passes, gang members could be banned from businesses or even sidewalks in those hot spots.
"It's something we have to get a hold of here in King County, before it gets a hold of us," said Councilman Reagan Dunn.
Dunn said officials already know where gang members congregate and where they're committing crimes, and if his proposal passes, a judge could prohibit convicted gang members from entering designated "high gang impact areas." If police see them there, gang members could be arrested.
"We'll use crime mapping on hot spot areas," Dunn said. "It all has to come before legislative body to make sure the area is as narrowly tailored as possible."
The ACLU agrees that the county has to do more to stop gang activity, but it doesn't support Dunn's plan.
"We're uncomfortable with it," said ACLU legislative aid Shankar Narayan. "All that happens is that the gang picks up and moves to the next block, so you're paying to move crime around."
The sheriff's office calls West Seattle's White Center a gang hot spot.
"Here in White Center, there is a lot of underground activity that you see at lot of the bars here," said resident Marco Lopez.
Lopez works in the area and said he welcomes the idea of gang free zones.
"I think they need to do that, to have a gang free zone. I think that might help us out," he said.
Other gang hot spots include South Seattle, Renton and Kent, where a dozen people were injured in a gang shoot out at a car show last July.
It was the final straw for Dunn and Kent's Reese Colbo.
"(Dunn's) basically playing hardball and I agree with him on that," Colbo said.
But ACLU officials say they have a better plan.
"We're investing in the wrong thing," Narayan said. "We know what works, and that's prevention and intervention service."
Several high profile King County officials have voiced their support for Dunn's plan, but most know it wouldn't solve the problem of gang violence. Even if it passes, the ordinance would only apply to unincorporated areas of King County, which fall under the jurisdiction of the sheriff's office. And only those convicted of misdemeanor gang-related charges would be affected, because the council has no jurisdiction over felony sentences.
Right now it's estimated that a whopping 10,000 gang members operate in King County. The sheriff's office says certain blocks and entire neighborhoods are hot spots for gang activity. If a new ordinance passes, gang members could be banned from businesses or even sidewalks in those hot spots.
"It's something we have to get a hold of here in King County, before it gets a hold of us," said Councilman Reagan Dunn.
Dunn said officials already know where gang members congregate and where they're committing crimes, and if his proposal passes, a judge could prohibit convicted gang members from entering designated "high gang impact areas." If police see them there, gang members could be arrested.
"We'll use crime mapping on hot spot areas," Dunn said. "It all has to come before legislative body to make sure the area is as narrowly tailored as possible."
The ACLU agrees that the county has to do more to stop gang activity, but it doesn't support Dunn's plan.
"We're uncomfortable with it," said ACLU legislative aid Shankar Narayan. "All that happens is that the gang picks up and moves to the next block, so you're paying to move crime around."
The sheriff's office calls West Seattle's White Center a gang hot spot.
"Here in White Center, there is a lot of underground activity that you see at lot of the bars here," said resident Marco Lopez.
Lopez works in the area and said he welcomes the idea of gang free zones.
"I think they need to do that, to have a gang free zone. I think that might help us out," he said.
Other gang hot spots include South Seattle, Renton and Kent, where a dozen people were injured in a gang shoot out at a car show last July.
It was the final straw for Dunn and Kent's Reese Colbo.
"(Dunn's) basically playing hardball and I agree with him on that," Colbo said.
But ACLU officials say they have a better plan.
"We're investing in the wrong thing," Narayan said. "We know what works, and that's prevention and intervention service."
Several high profile King County officials have voiced their support for Dunn's plan, but most know it wouldn't solve the problem of gang violence. Even if it passes, the ordinance would only apply to unincorporated areas of King County, which fall under the jurisdiction of the sheriff's office. And only those convicted of misdemeanor gang-related charges would be affected, because the council has no jurisdiction over felony sentences.
