This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 9:59 AM- OGDEN - The Ogden City Council has approved a series of anti-gang ordinances.
Approved last night, the laws are aimed at making it harder for street gangs to recruit by clamping down on loitering.
But the Standard-Examiner reports today that the move did not come without controversy.
Council Chairman Jesse Garcia took issue with an allegation that he delayed a vote because of a family member's previous gang affiliation.
Garcia denies the accusation, but added his son was once a gang member as a juvenile and has since turned his life around.
Patterson earlier told the Standard-Examiner in November that the administration submitted several anti-crime ordinances to the council.
However, it took until February for the council to begin reviewing the proposals - and it wasn't until last night they were finally approved.
Patterson told the Standard-Examiner that he couldn't understand why it took so long.
"The only thing that seemed plausible was the speculation of the difficulty of Jesse having a son who was gang-affiliated," he said, adding that he expressed his concern to Stephenson in May.