erte

Main Menu
Home
My Lessons
Career Center
Writing Center
Jaden Quinn

FORT WORTH, Texas. Fed up with drive-by shootings, drug dealing, and graffiti, cities around the country are trying a different way to keep citizens safe. They're suing the gangs that they believe are responsible for these crimes.

Fort Worth, Texas and San Francisco, California are among the latest cities to file lawsuits against gang members. They are asking the courts to ban members from hanging out together. The court orders intend to prevent gang members from associating with one another and from carrying weapons. The orders also outlaw the displaying of gang symbols. Some of these orders set curfews for members. These rules apply in "safety zones." Safety zones are neighborhoods where suspected gang members live and are most active. The court orders also give police the legal authority to stop and question gang members. Many gang members are often found with drugs or weapons.

The court orders are aimed at interrupting gang activity before it can worsen. "It is another tool," said Kevin Rousseau. Rousseau is a legal representative in Fort Worth. His city recently filed its first civil court order against a gang. Rousseau feels that preventing criminal activity is better than waiting for it to occur.

Officials first filed civil court orders against gang members in Los Angeles. In 1987, a Los Angeles lawyer tried to file a court order that covered the entire city. The judge thought the measure too broad. It was scaled back to cover only certain parts of Los Angeles. Since then, cities have used court orders to target particular gangs or gang members. So far that method has withstood court challenges. Los Angeles now has 33 permanent court orders involving 50 gangs. According to officials, studies show that they work.

That's partly because of what happens when gang members ignore the rules. In Los Angeles, people who defy one such order could face up to a year in jail. According to lawmakers, that threat will be taken seriously.

"Seven months in jail is a big penalty for sitting on the front porch or riding in the car with your gang buddies," said one official.

Some people say that such lawsuits go too far, however. They argue that the orders limit otherwise lawful activities. They also claim the orders unfairly target minority youth. In addition, some feel that the measures do not really work.

"It's difficult to tell if they're gang members or if they're people discussing issues," said Peter Bibring. Bibring is a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California. "And it's all the more troubling because it doesn't seem to be [working]."

Usamah Anderson of Fort Worth agrees. Anderson began stealing cars at age 11. Soon he became involved with gangs. Anderson says that a court order would just have caused him and his friends to move outside the safety zone. They would not have changed their behavior.

"That's the life you live, so you're going to find a way . . . around it," said Anderson. The 30-year-old abandoned the gang life about seven years ago. He has since started a church to help young gang members start new lives.

The ACLU favors community programs that provide gang members with counseling and other resources to help them escape that life.

Some citizens in the Fort Worth safety zone say they feel better with the court orders in place. Phoebe Picazo recently moved to the city to care for her elderly parents. She said she hears gunfire almost every night.

"We're having to keep our doors locked," Picazo said. But now, she added, "I feel better for my folks."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Activity
Supporting Resources
Vocabulary

curfew

(noun)
a time after which certain persons must not be on the street
[Play] [Stop]

minority

(noun)
a member of a group that is smaller than the largest group
[Play] [Stop]

penalty

(noun)
a legal or official punishment, such as a fine or imprisonment for committing a crime or other offense
[Play] [Stop]

resource

(noun)
somebody who or something that can be used as a source of help or information
[Play] [Stop]
Extras
Map
Puzzle
Citations
Rubric

© 2017 Achieve3000 Inc. and its licensors. All Rights Reserved.
Achieve3000