Another anti-crime initiative is about to hit the streets on its way to the California ballot, this time targeting street gangs and setting aside nearly $1 billion for local law enforcement to fight them.
State Sen. George Runner and his wife, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, both R-Lancaster, submitted the initiative Monday to the attorney general's office for review. They're hoping to qualify the measure for the November 2008 ballot.
"It's time to solve the gang problem," Sen. Runner said at a press conference outside the downtown Sacramento County courthouse. "It's time to send a message to gang members and street thugs that Californians have had it and their violent crimes and lawless ways must end."
Key provisions of the initiative would add a 10-year prison term on some convicted felons who carry guns in public. It would make accomplices to gun crimes eligible for enhanced penalties under the already-existing "10-20-Life" law. It also would elevate methamphetamine sentences and force gang members to register with the police.
The measure would add an estimated $300 million in new general fund spending for local police and other law enforcement programs and guarantee that at least another $600 million in state money would be spent on local law enforcement each year.
The Safe Neighborhoods Act, as the measure is called, was hailed by its supporters as being in the same league as the 1994 "three-strikes" initiative for repeat felons and last year's Jessica's Law that took aim at sex offenders.
Critics blasted the gang measure as another proposal that will mostly serve to put further pressure on a massively overcrowded prison system without delivering a commensurate dose of public safety.
"It's another example of why California needs meaningful sentencing reform, and why it needs to be placed into an independent sentencing commission as has been called for by every independent political body that has examined this for the past 20 years, including a commission headed by (former Republican Gov.) George Deukmejian," said Dan Macallair, executive director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. "This doesn't make anybody safer."
Runner said that the initiative is partially a reaction to many of its provisions having been shot down in the Senate Public Safety Committee, headed by Democratic Sen. Gloria Romero of Los Angeles.
She responded by issuing a statement questioning Republicans for pushing the measure, carrying a price tag into the hundreds of millions, barely weeks after they held up the state budget for having too much spending. She also called the measure "politics as usual."
"We all want to reduce gang crime in California," Romero said. "But simply throwing more money at this very serious problem is something California can't afford."
On the financial side, the initiative would provide $250 million for Global Positioning System devices for gang members and other assorted local law enforcement projects. It also contains proposed annual increases of $6 million more for community policing projects, $6 million for juvenile crime prevention, $15 million for "public safety education," $10 million for victims programs and $10 million more in reward money.
It also seeks to remove the Board of Parole Hearings from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and streamline the civil injunction process when it comes to gang members.
Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness said one of the most important components in the initiative is its guarantee of a "sustainable" level of funding every year to local law enforcement.
Joining the Runners in rolling out the initiative Monday was Mike Reynolds, the author the three-strikes law that in 1994 imposed life sentences on repeat serious and violent felons.
"The initiative that we are submitting today is without question the toughest, hardest-hitting initiative this state has seen since three strikes," said Reynolds, who campaigned for the tough sentencing law after his daughter was murdered in Fresno. "If three strikes taught us anything, it taught us that when you get tough, you get results."
Bill Bean Sr., whose son, a Sacramento police officer, was slain in the line of duty by a parolee in 1999, said Bill Jr. would still be alive today if the firearm provisions in the Runners' initiative had been on the books back then.
"The one who murdered my son was caught several times with a firearm in his possession," Bean Sr. said. "But it was always plea-bargained away because the penalty wasn't strong enough ... . Had these regulations been in place ... he wouldn't have been able to murder my son."
State Sen. George Runner and his wife, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, both R-Lancaster, submitted the initiative Monday to the attorney general's office for review. They're hoping to qualify the measure for the November 2008 ballot.
"It's time to solve the gang problem," Sen. Runner said at a press conference outside the downtown Sacramento County courthouse. "It's time to send a message to gang members and street thugs that Californians have had it and their violent crimes and lawless ways must end."
Key provisions of the initiative would add a 10-year prison term on some convicted felons who carry guns in public. It would make accomplices to gun crimes eligible for enhanced penalties under the already-existing "10-20-Life" law. It also would elevate methamphetamine sentences and force gang members to register with the police.
The measure would add an estimated $300 million in new general fund spending for local police and other law enforcement programs and guarantee that at least another $600 million in state money would be spent on local law enforcement each year.
The Safe Neighborhoods Act, as the measure is called, was hailed by its supporters as being in the same league as the 1994 "three-strikes" initiative for repeat felons and last year's Jessica's Law that took aim at sex offenders.
Critics blasted the gang measure as another proposal that will mostly serve to put further pressure on a massively overcrowded prison system without delivering a commensurate dose of public safety.
"It's another example of why California needs meaningful sentencing reform, and why it needs to be placed into an independent sentencing commission as has been called for by every independent political body that has examined this for the past 20 years, including a commission headed by (former Republican Gov.) George Deukmejian," said Dan Macallair, executive director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. "This doesn't make anybody safer."
Runner said that the initiative is partially a reaction to many of its provisions having been shot down in the Senate Public Safety Committee, headed by Democratic Sen. Gloria Romero of Los Angeles.
She responded by issuing a statement questioning Republicans for pushing the measure, carrying a price tag into the hundreds of millions, barely weeks after they held up the state budget for having too much spending. She also called the measure "politics as usual."
"We all want to reduce gang crime in California," Romero said. "But simply throwing more money at this very serious problem is something California can't afford."
On the financial side, the initiative would provide $250 million for Global Positioning System devices for gang members and other assorted local law enforcement projects. It also contains proposed annual increases of $6 million more for community policing projects, $6 million for juvenile crime prevention, $15 million for "public safety education," $10 million for victims programs and $10 million more in reward money.
It also seeks to remove the Board of Parole Hearings from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and streamline the civil injunction process when it comes to gang members.
Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness said one of the most important components in the initiative is its guarantee of a "sustainable" level of funding every year to local law enforcement.
Joining the Runners in rolling out the initiative Monday was Mike Reynolds, the author the three-strikes law that in 1994 imposed life sentences on repeat serious and violent felons.
"The initiative that we are submitting today is without question the toughest, hardest-hitting initiative this state has seen since three strikes," said Reynolds, who campaigned for the tough sentencing law after his daughter was murdered in Fresno. "If three strikes taught us anything, it taught us that when you get tough, you get results."
Bill Bean Sr., whose son, a Sacramento police officer, was slain in the line of duty by a parolee in 1999, said Bill Jr. would still be alive today if the firearm provisions in the Runners' initiative had been on the books back then.
"The one who murdered my son was caught several times with a firearm in his possession," Bean Sr. said. "But it was always plea-bargained away because the penalty wasn't strong enough ... . Had these regulations been in place ... he wouldn't have been able to murder my son."
