LOS ANGELES (AP) An injunction has been put in place targeting one of the city's oldest street gangs, Police Chief William Bratton and other city officials announced Wednesday.
The preliminary injunction against the 38th Street Gang, which dates back to the 1920s, was approved last week by Superior Court Judge David Yaffe.
The gang has about 350 members who are known for drug dealing, street muggings, extortion of local businesses and an auto theft ring, officials said.
The injunction bans some named individuals from the Alameda Swap Meet without the owner's written permission and from having replica guns that allegedly have been used to terrorize residents.
``The 38th Street gang is destroying the legitimate businesses here at the swap meet,'' City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said. ``Now is the time for our city to stand up to the 38th Street gang.''
A 3.87-square-mile area in South Los Angeles was set up as a ``safety zone'' by the injunction. It also bans known 38th Street Gang members from associating with each other in public, imposes a 10 p.m. curfew, bars the intimidation of residents in the ``safety zone'' and orders gang members to stay away from drugs, alcohol, graffiti materials and weapons.
There are 23 active gang injunctions in the city.
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