Santa Clarita is going to discuss joining a crime-fighting initiative aimed at pushing lawmakers and educating voters regarding the consequences of several recent crime initiatives, including AB 109, Prop 47 and Prop 57.

Law enforcement and other public safety officials have felt an increased burden as a result of those laws, said Santa Clarita Mayor Cameron Smyth, and it’s time the city made a wider effort to make people aware of the concerns.

“I think it’s important that residents understand if they’re seeing a spike in crime,” Smyth said, ‘it’s not a result of inaction by law enforcement officers, but of more people being released into our communities before they served their time.”

AB 109, Prop 47, and Prop 57, the definition of what constitutes a violent crime has been eroded, according to the agenda item, noting how Proposition 57 declassified the following crimes as “nonviolent”: domestic violence, corporal injury to a child, rape, hate crime causing physical injury and assault with a deadly weapon.

“I think if voters are educated properly,” Smyth said, “there could be support to amend the measure to keep serious criminals in prison until they’ve finished their sentences.”

Statewide, statistics have indicated, crime rates have “sky-rocketed,” per the city’s agenda. A 2015 report released by former California Attorney General Kamala Harris depicted disturbing statistics of increasing crime in the State: 166,588 victims of violent crimes, a 10 percent increase (15,163 more victims);  1,023,828 victims of property crimes, an 8.1 percent increase (77,146 more victims) Locally, the City of Santa Clarita has seen similar increases in certain violent crimes. From 2014 to 2016, robbery increased 24 percent, larceny increased 29 percent, grand theft auto increased 88 percent, and arson increased 113 percent.

Locally, the City of Santa Clarita has seen similar increases in certain violent crimes. From 2014 to 2016, robbery increased 24 percent, larceny increased 29 percent, grand theft auto increased 88 percent, and arson increased 113 percent.

The issue has been studied by county officials for some time, also.

From a previous story: Los Angeles County Officials Discuss AB 109, Prop 47

“AB 109 reduced the one-year prison term for parole violators to a maximum of six months in county jail, which is automatically reduced by 50 percent to three months – or less — depending on jail overcrowding conditions,” said Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger.  “The same applies to post-supervised persons under probation supervision pursuant to AB 109. Prop. 47, which reduced possession of certain drugs and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, removed consequences for these crimes and is not providing meaningful rehabilitation.  The problem remains unsolved at best – and exacerbated at worst.  In Los Angeles County, dozens of offenders under Prop. 47 have been rearrested numerous times — one as many as 49 times — with little or no consequences.”

The initiative assails the following measures, according to the city’s agenda:

“Under AB 109, the responsibility of incarcerating criminals convicted of certain serious felony violations was permanently transferred from State prisons to local jail facilities to the detriment of local communities.

Prop 47 was approved by 60 percent of voters in 2014, and changed the following crimes from felonies to misdemeanors:  Shoplifting, theft, forgery/fraud where the value of the crime does not exceed $950  Possession of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine

Prop 57 allows the State complete authority to release up to 30,000 inmates in California State prisons back into our communities, including those convicted of the following violent and serious crimes: rape by intoxication, rape of an unconscious person, human trafficking involving sex acts with minors, drive-by shooting, assault with a deadly weapon, hate crime causing physical injury, and corporal injury to a child.”

Taking Back Our Community advocates for a number of specific actions, according to the agenda item:

1.  Direct League staff to consider creating a task force with other organizations and jointly commission a report on the unintended negative impacts of recent and future criminal law to identify necessary changes, working with key stakeholders to promote support for resulting advocacy efforts.
2. Promote an amendment of appropriate sections of AB 109 to change the criteria justifying the release of non-violent, non-serious, non-sex offender inmates to include their total criminal and mental health history instead of only their last criminal conviction.
3. Continue to advocate to place into law so that a violent offense includes any of the following:  Murder or voluntary manslaughter.  Mayhem.  Rape.  Sodomy by force, violence, duress, menace, or threat of great bodily harm.  Oral copulation by force, violence, duress, menace, or threat of great bodily harm.  Lewd acts on a child under the age of 14 years.  Any felony punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison for life.  Any other felony in which the defendant inflicts great or serious bodily injury on any person, other than an accomplice, that has been charged and proven, or any felony in which the defendant uses a firearm which use has been charged and proven.  Attempted murder.  Assault with intent to commit rape or robbery.  Assault with a deadly weapon or instrument on a peace officer.  Assault by a life prisoner on a non-inmate.  Assault with a deadly weapon by an inmate.  Arson. Exploding a destructive device or any explosive with intent to injure.  Exploding a destructive device or any explosive causing great bodily injury.  Exploding a destructive device or any explosive with intent to murder.  Robbery.  Kidnapping.  Taking of a hostage by an inmate of a state prison.  Attempt to commit a felony punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison for life.  Any felony in which the defendant personally used a dangerous or deadly weapon.  Escape from a state prison by use of force or violence.  Assault with a deadly weapon.  Extortion as defined in Penal Code section 518, or threats to victims or witnesses as defined in Penal Code section 136.1, which would constitute a felony violation of Penal Code section 186.22.  Carjacking.  Discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, vehicle, or aircraft.  Throwing acid or flammable substances with intent to injure.  Continuous sexual abuse of a child.
4. Request the State to improve the Smart Justice platform to provide an effective statewide data sharing to allow state and local law enforcement agencies to rapidly and efficiently share offender information to assist in tracking and monitoring the activities of AB 109 and other offenders.
5. Encourage the collection and organization of real world data from cities and counties on the universe of post-release community supervision (PRCS) offenders.
6. Encourage cities throughout California to join in these advocacy efforts to mitigate the unintended negative impacts of recent policy changes to the criminal justice system.
7. Call for the Governor and the Legislature to work with the League and others stakeholders to consider and implement such criminal justice system reforms.

At this point, the following cities have formally supported the initiative, according to Santa Clarita officials: Arcadia, Monrovia, Glendora, Diamond Bar, Walnut, Claremont, Duarte, La Canada Flintridge, Whittier, Sierra Madre, Covina, and Alhambra. Furthermore, Cal Chiefs and the Deputy District Attorneys’ Association have indicated they are joining, in addition to the cities of Monterey Park, West Covina, La Verne, Rosemead, Temple City, Pasadena, and San Marino, all making formal pitches to their City Council in September or October.

“This is a way for cities to kind of build that grassroots efforts to let our citizens — and I think it’s to educate city council members (throughout California) as well,” Smyth said, “but also certainly to remind voters that you need to really do your research with these ballot measures.”

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