L.A.Council puts up opposition to anti-gang legislation.

The Los Angeles City Council voted 9-1 Wednesday to oppose the Safe Neighborhoods Act, an anti-gang measure authored by State Sen. George Runner that has qualified for the November ballot.

Councilman Tony Cardenas introduced the measure, which raises questions about the initiative’s impact on the state budget and emphasis on punishment instead of prevention. The majority of law enforcement agencies in California support the legislation. Runner and L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca issued statements in response.

“This resolution to oppose an anti-gang initiative is nothing more than political posturing. In other words, nothing good or tangible will come from this resolution, which strikes me as a waste of taxpayer time and money,” Runner said.

“Fortunately, Los Angeles voters — who are fed up with the gang epidemic that grips our neighborhoods — will see through the LA City Council's empty rhetoric and vote in favor of the Safe Neighborhoods Act in November.”

“With gang crime on the rise in the Los Angeles communities, it's disappointing that the Los Angeles City Council is making a proactive effort to oppose a statewide initiative that would stem the violence. The City revenues alone will not support a full solution to the gang problem,” said Baca. “The Safe Neighborhoods Act is a sensible redistribution of the City of Los Angeles' taxpayer dollars to the State distributed back to Los Angeles where they are desperately needed.”