City Won’t Appeal Gang Injunction Ruling

The City Council voted unanimously behind closed doors not to appeal Judge Colleen Sterne’s decision two weeks ago to reject the gang injunction first proposed by Police Chief Cam Sanchez and Mayor Helene Schneider in March 2011. Sterne ruled that the safety zones outlined in the proposed injunction were way too big, the statistics maintained by the city police department were way too nebulous, the expert witnesses were either not persuasive or not credible, traditional law enforcement techniques have proved effective, and most citizens were not living in a state of fear because of gang activity. Schneider said the council respected the judge’s decision but also pledged to maintain the safety of residents and tourists. Critics of the injunction objected how the decision to pursue it in the first place had been made behind closed doors, as well.