The state House of Representatives passed sweeping legislation Monday to target gangs, the result of a six-month statewide task force charged with finding ways to reduce gang violence.
The bill would create a statewide database of gang members, allow cities to prevent gang members from entering certain areas, and increase sentencing for adults who recruit youth for gang membership.
Besides toughening criminal penalties, the bill also would create grants to help neighborhoods remove graffiti. And it would provide funding for a witness relocation program, which advocates say would help counteract the fear community members face when they report gang activity to authorities. The $10 million for those programs was removed from the bill, but supporters are hopeful it will be restored with the supplemental budget.
House Bill 2712 passed the House 94-1 and now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.
“The idea is to get in and break down the criminal network,” said Rep. Charles Ross, R-Naches, a chief sponsor of the bill. “What I’m most proud of is this isn’t just a ‘tough on crime’ bill.”
He said the bill, developed by a bipartisan task force that met throughout the state, targets gang violence through a comprehensive approach of suppression, intervention and prevention.
One of the most important pieces of the bill is a piece that allows cities to file civil anti-gang injunctions. That would effectively create “safe zones” where known gang members would not be allowed to enter. The idea is similar to one used in Tacoma to reduce prostitution.
The American Civil Liberties Union was initially concerned with aspects of the bill, including the creation of civil anti-gang injunctions. But Ross said the bill’s writers fought to include measures that would protect civil liberties.
“We tried very hard to make sure we aren’t arresting people without a warrant,” he said.
Ross said Tacoma was among the cities particularly interested in the bill.
Last year, a shooting outside McCabe’s American Music Cafe in downtown Tacoma was among the more high-profile gang-related incidents.
Last year alone, the Tacoma Police Department’s gang unit arrested about 600 suspected gang members, collected 45 suspected gang members’ guns and confiscated about $80,000 in cash. The department has worked with other local law enforcement agencies, but told The News Tribune gang violence wasn’t lessening.
Parts of the bill are modeled after legislation in California, including the statewide database, which would allow law enforcement officers to track known gang members throughout the state. The bill also would create a legal definition of “gang member,” which would help law enforcement and courts identify gang members by common standards.
The bill also would provide harsher sentencing for adults who recruit children to join gangs.
If funding is restored, it would establish grants for communities fighting gangs and create five pilot projects across the state. Those projects wouldn’t start until the 2009-2011 budget cycle.
During the floor debate, lawmakers praised the legislation, saying it was a big first step in halting gang violence that has plagued communities across the state.
“Gang problems are not just confined to big cities,” said Rep. Chris Hurst, an Enumclaw Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill. “We have them in our suburbs, in our small towns, both west and east of the mountains. This bill helps citizens reclaim their communities, and gives law enforcement the tools they’ve been lacking to address this growing problem.”
Niki Sullivan: 253-597-8603
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