August 26, 2004

LT. GOV HEALEY SIGNS BILL CRACKING DOWN ON SOMERVILLE GANGS

New law allows police to arrest gang members who ignore demands to disperse

Acting Governor Kerry Healey today signed into law a measure designed to crack down on gang-related activity in the City of Somerville by expanding the authority of police officers to arrest gang members who loiter on street corners.

“Somerville has been struck with escalated gang-related crimes in recent years and by targeting specific areas where gang activities are prevalent, we aim to curb this troubling trend,” said Healey, who worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice for more than a decade on a number of crime-related issues, including gang violence.

She added, “Granting police officers authority on gang loitering will help them keep the residents and the neighborhoods of Somerville safe.”

The new law will allow Somerville police officers to warn gang members who are caught loitering in designated areas of the city that they must immediately disperse. Failure to obey the officer or returning to the same location within three hours of the warning will result in arrest.

The measure also establishes penalties for disobeying a police officer’s order. A first time offender will face a fine of up to $500 as well as a possible prison sentence of up to six months. A mandatory minimum sentence of five days in jail will be imposed for all second and subsequent offenses.

Today’s bill signing took place at Foss Park in Somerville, where nearly two years ago, in October 2002, two disabled teenage girls were brutally raped. Their assailants were associated with a nationwide gang known as MS-13. At the time of the incident, the MS-13 gang was estimated to have roughly 100 members in the area and had been linked to a string of violent assaults against the residents of Somerville.

“This legislation sends a clear message to gang members – you will not stake out turf in our parks or on our street corners. Somerville residents must be able to live, work and play without fear of intimidation or violence in public places,” said Mayor Joe Curtatone. “At the same time, this legislation ensures that innocent people gathering in public places will not be subjected to illegal or unfair police actions.”

Under the legislation, the Somerville Chief of Police is charged with working with gang crime experts to identify parts of the city where gang loitering is most prevalent and designating them as prohibited areas for gang members. He will also develop written procedures to identify known gang members and consult with a newly formed advisory board to ensure that the individual rights of all citizens are properly represented and respected.

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