simi valley gang activity

Officials from the city of Simi Valley, the Simi Valley Unified School District and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District held a tri-agency meeting this week to discuss the issue of gangs.

"These three agencies have been trying to get together to bring forward ideas to help policy makers," said City Manager Mike Sedell. "One question we're faced with is, what is the gang situation in Simi Valley? We want to inform our elected officials so they know how to respond to any problems."

Led by members of the Simi Valley Police Department's Special Operations Unit, the meeting focused on the history of gangs in the community, current gang activity in Simi Valley and the criteria used to determine whether a group qualifies as a gang.

One of the greatest difficulties in combating gangs is determining what exactly a gang is, said Sgt. Darin Muehler, an 18-year veteran of the Simi Police Department and a Simi gang expert.

Under the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Protection (STEP) Act, a piece of California legislation used to combat gangs by giving stiffer sentences for gang-related crimes, a criminal gang is defined as a group of three or more individuals with a common name, identification or symbol, who engage in a pattern of criminal activity.

"You'll see defense attorneys trying to fight the STEP act by arguing that the Boy Scouts of America is a gang. They wear a uniform and have a common identity, but the difference is that they are not out committing crimes in the name of the organization," Muehler said.

While officers feel that the gang problem in Simi Valley is minimal compared to what exists in nearby cities like Oxnard and Los Angeles, Simi Valley does have two gangs that have been recognized as official criminal organizations by California courts.

Gangs in the Simi Valley area are loosely territorial but are not money-oriented and not involved in the narcotics trade.

The oldest Simi Valley gang, the Varrio Simi Valley, or VSV, began in the 1980s as a group composed of Hispanic males.

"The Varrio Simi Valley became validated as a gang when they began (fighting) against the Westside Locos," Muehler said.

In 1990, the VSV committed the first drive-by shooting in Simi Valley's history. The shooting occurred on First Street and the vehicle involved was a bicycle.

And the VSV committed the first gang homicide in Simi Valley when, in 1995, a member killed a Westside Loco gang member. A total of 230 people have claimed membership in the VSV over the years.

While enrollment in the VSV is diminishing, according to officials, Simi Valley's other gang, the Westside Locos, is currently recruiting. The gang, which has had up to 180 members, began in the 1990s as a refuge for Spanishspeaking illegal immigrants but now initiates Caucasians. The Westside Locos have claimed territory at Rancho Simi Park and Sycamore Park and are far more territorial and violent than the VSV.

Out of about 4,500 crimes reported every year in Simi Valley, the number related to gang activity (other than graffiti ) has hovered between 250 and 300 per year since 2002, according to officials.

"The gangs we have here are annoying and they are a thorn in our side, but they're nothing like the gangs you'll find in Los Angeles," said Mayor Paul Miller.

Tagging crews are still a major nuisance to the city. These groups aren't considered gangs because they don't participate in violent crimes.

"These kids are tagging, not murdering or robbing. It's going to be hard to get a judge to issue an injunction against them," Muehler said.

Groups such as Latin Pride Cholos and Green Infantry Boys, which usually consist of fewer than 10 kids of the same ethnicity, cause thousands of dollars of damage in graffiti every year.

While the police department has taken a proactive stance against tagging by initiating sting operations, the problem persists because the department lacks adequate resources and manpower, according to officials. "It's incredibly difficult to catch someone in the act of tagging," Muehler said. The SVPD has also taken a pro

active stance against gangs by assigning school resource officers to the secondary schools in Simi.