SACRAMENTO, CA—Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced that he has signed into law AB 104, authored by Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim).

“AB 104 will make a simple change to existing law that will consequently make a major difference in the fight against gang activity and drug trafficking,” said Assemblyman Jose Solorio.

AB 104 (Solorio) clarifies that city attorneys pursuing civil gang injunctions and drug abatement orders may access state and local criminal arrest databases to support their court petitions.  As it currently stands, current law is ambiguous as to whether such data can be used. 

“This would be extremely helpful data for City Attorneys to have,” said Santa Ana Assistant City Attorney Paula Coleman, who worked with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to file a gang injunction in Santa Ana in June 2006. “Gang injunctions can be an extremely effective law enforcement tool,” said Coleman, adding that a three month audit found that crime dropped 46% in the designated safety zone cited in the injunction. 

“I applaud Assemblyman Jose Solorio's leadership and vision in helping offices like mine intervene and disrupt illicit gang activity effectively and early -- before it reaches the level of felony crime," said San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who is sponsoring AB 104.  Herrera issued a civil injunction against the city’s notorious Oakdale Mob last fall and there has been more than a 60% reduction in police service calls in the designated safety zone since then. 

“City attorneys say they need detailed arrest and conviction information on gang members to obtain effective gang injunctions and drug abatement orders from the courts.  AB 104 will make it quicker and more cost effective for cities to investigate, draft and enforce gang injunctions and drug abatement orders,” Assemblyman Solorio added.
 
Assemblyman Jose Solorio represents Sixty-Ninth Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana.  He is also the Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee.  For more information about Assemblyman Solorio, you can visit http://www.assembly.ca.gov/solorio.