Street gang tries new strategy

Herrera has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon for the benefit of a criminal street gang, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.

Los Angeles police have also noticed an increase in graffiti from West Burbank gang members in an area that their Glendale rivals claim as their territory, prompting concerns at the L.A.P.D. Northeast Division, said Lt. Steven Flores.

“Tagging leads to increased violence,” he said.

Despite the recent flare-ups, Flores pointed out that police have seen gang activity around the Glendale and Los Angeles border drop significantly since both cities united to obtain the gang injunction.

The injunction allows police to arrest gang members who were found to be selling or possessing drugs, weapons and graffiti tools, using lookouts, trespassing, loitering or intimidating people who live and work within the designated zone — a 4.5-square-mile area that includes much of south Glendale into Los Angeles. A 1.25-square-mile area of Tujunga just north of Foothill Boulevard also falls under the injunction.

West Glendale Commander Lt. Bruce Fox said he plans to tackle gang activity through more patrols, contacting reputed gang members and asserting a police presence in the area.

Fox and his community officers will host a town hall meeting to talk to residents about recent crime spikes and gang movement in the area.

“We’ve got to increase [police] presence in the neighborhood,” he said.