Rally to Respect Our Youth
Santa Barbara Residents Stand Against Fatally Flawed Gang Injunction
WHO
Families, Students, and Allies Rally to Respect Santa Barbara’s Youth
WHAT
Santa Barbara residents stand for the moratorium of a fatally flawed gang injunction
WHEN
Tuesday May 14, 2013 / 4:30pm
WHERE
City of Santa Barbara City Hall, 735 Anacapa St, Corner or Anacapa & De La Guerra
WHY
In 2011, City of Santa Barbara Police Chief Cameron Sanchez and City of Santa Barbara Attorney Steve Wiley developed a gang injunction targeting thirty (30) ALLEGED gang members with THREE HUNDRED OPEN SLOTS to add those considered “affiliated gang members”, a process left under police discretion.
On Tuesday May 14th, after two years, the City Council will finally address the gang injunction on the public agenda. However, a single airing during a city council meeting is NOT ENOUGH for a decision that WILL CHANGE THE FUTURE OF SANTA BARBARA AND IMPACT THE LIVES OF MANY OF ITS RESIDENTS.
It has taken two years to bring this discussion out into the public. So far the City Council has taken more interest and devoted more time to issues like speed bumps.
With virtually no public participation, no transparency, and excessive spending incurred by the city attorney and support staff, the fatally flawed proposed gang injunction, accomplishes the exact opposite of what its proponents claim it will do. The gang injunction is poorly written, is fraught with unintended consequences and fails to serve the interests of the City of Santa Barbara and its families.
We can choose to go one of two ways: The way of the fatally flawed, racial profiling, expensive gang injunction which has already cost over $500,000 in just court filings and proceedings. Or we can collaborate to develop workable alternatives that move us forward together as a city.
