ANTI-GANG INITIATIVE QUALIFIES FOR NOVEMBER BALLOT
California Political Desk
June 09, 2008
Safe Neighborhoods Act will address the growing gang problem in California.
SACRAMENTO – State Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley), Mike Reynolds (father of Three Strikes) and San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt today announced that Secretary of State Debra Bowen has qualified a statewide anti-gang initiative for the November ballot.
"Californians are fed up with gangs and the violence and the destruction they inflict on our neighborhoods," said Runner, one of the measure's authors. "Now California voters have a chance to do what the liberal Legislature has failed to do: Pass true gang reform."
In order to qualify for the ballot, the Safe Neighborhoods Act needed 433,971 valid petition signatures, which is equal to 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2006 General Election. The initiative proponents submitted 789,668 signatures in late April.
"The Safe Neighborhoods Act will have strong support from voters in November," said Mike Reynolds, co-author of the initiative. "Quite simply, California families have had it with gangs and they demand solutions."
The Safe Neighborhoods Act is a comprehensive anti-gang and crime reduction measure that will bring more cops and increased safety to California communities and greater efficiency and accountability to public safety programs and agencies that spend taxpayer money.
"The voters have a big decision before them this November. Do we want to continue with failed criminal policies that have placed our families in danger? I don't think so," said Ovitt, co-author of the initiative. California's voters will support the Safe Neighborhoods Act just like they supported Three Strikes and other critical law enforcement reforms. The safety of our communities is paramount to all of us."
Some of the provisions of the Safe Neighborhoods Act would do the following:
Increase penalties for felons and gang members with guns;
Prohibit bail for illegal aliens charged with violent or gang crimes;
Create the Early Intervention & Rehabilitation Commission;
Protect witness testimony;
Create a statewide gang registry;
Punish smugglers of prison contraband;
Establish the "Use a gun and lose a car" law;
Toughen laws for methamphetamine distribution and sales;
Allow counties (that are under federal court order to release jail inmates) to operate temporary jail facilities;
Strengthen Section 8 Housing compliance;
Heighten penalties for criminal accomplices;
Impose felony penalties on serial graffiti offenders.
The Safe Neighborhoods Act is supported by every elected California sheriff, the California Police Chiefs' Association, the California District Attorneys Association, Chief Probation Officers of California and nearly every other law enforcement group, including rank and file law enforcement organizations like the Peace Officers Research Association of California.
Additionally, it has the support of former Gov. Pete Wilson.
Learn more at www.SafeNeighborhoodsAct.com
SACRAMENTO – State Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley), Mike Reynolds (father of Three Strikes) and San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt today announced that Secretary of State Debra Bowen has qualified a statewide anti-gang initiative for the November ballot.
"Californians are fed up with gangs and the violence and the destruction they inflict on our neighborhoods," said Runner, one of the measure's authors. "Now California voters have a chance to do what the liberal Legislature has failed to do: Pass true gang reform."
In order to qualify for the ballot, the Safe Neighborhoods Act needed 433,971 valid petition signatures, which is equal to 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2006 General Election. The initiative proponents submitted 789,668 signatures in late April.
"The Safe Neighborhoods Act will have strong support from voters in November," said Mike Reynolds, co-author of the initiative. "Quite simply, California families have had it with gangs and they demand solutions."
The Safe Neighborhoods Act is a comprehensive anti-gang and crime reduction measure that will bring more cops and increased safety to California communities and greater efficiency and accountability to public safety programs and agencies that spend taxpayer money.
"The voters have a big decision before them this November. Do we want to continue with failed criminal policies that have placed our families in danger? I don't think so," said Ovitt, co-author of the initiative. California's voters will support the Safe Neighborhoods Act just like they supported Three Strikes and other critical law enforcement reforms. The safety of our communities is paramount to all of us."
Some of the provisions of the Safe Neighborhoods Act would do the following:
Increase penalties for felons and gang members with guns;
Prohibit bail for illegal aliens charged with violent or gang crimes;
Create the Early Intervention & Rehabilitation Commission;
Protect witness testimony;
Create a statewide gang registry;
Punish smugglers of prison contraband;
Establish the "Use a gun and lose a car" law;
Toughen laws for methamphetamine distribution and sales;
Allow counties (that are under federal court order to release jail inmates) to operate temporary jail facilities;
Strengthen Section 8 Housing compliance;
Heighten penalties for criminal accomplices;
Impose felony penalties on serial graffiti offenders.
The Safe Neighborhoods Act is supported by every elected California sheriff, the California Police Chiefs' Association, the California District Attorneys Association, Chief Probation Officers of California and nearly every other law enforcement group, including rank and file law enforcement organizations like the Peace Officers Research Association of California.
Additionally, it has the support of former Gov. Pete Wilson.
Learn more at www.SafeNeighborhoodsAct.com
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