Both Assemblyman Scott Wilk and county Supervisor Michael Antonovich spoke out Tuesday regarding criminal justice concerns they hope voters will address in November.

Wilk was in Sacramento to introduce a bill he said was aimed at helping his constituents deal with the fallout from Proposition 47. Antonovich met with police chiefs regarding the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016.

Assembly Bill 2287 is being co-authored by Wilk and Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, and aimed at “one of the many loopholes that have occurred since the passage of Proposition 47,” Wilk said Tuesday. “It’s happening on a number of scales.”

With voters’ passage of Prop 47, in addition to lessening the penalties for all drug offenses, made theft of less than $950 a misdemeanor. The resulting misdemeanor penalty, a citation, is little deterrence for career criminals, Wilk said.

“People are stealing with impunity,” he said, noting several conversations he’s has with representatives from the Sheriff’s Department, who have expressed concern about the problem for local business owners.

“What’s even more troubling is that there seems to be the creation of an organized shopping theft rings,” he said, referring to news reports of mall thefts and a recent Target theft that left an employee assaulted.

These thieves are now aware and target goods to make sure their thefts are less than $950, which means when they are given a ticket and let go.

AB 2287 would address that by making it a felony charge for someone to be caught in an establishment if they have been caught stealing there within six months, or if someone one is accused of two or more locations, a conspiracy charge could result, which would be a felony.

Wilk is hopeful the Legislature will support the bill, which they’re introducing today, so that the measure could be put before voters in November.

Meanwhile at a luncheon with police chiefs throughout the county’s Fifth District in , Antonovich met with officials to discuss concern about the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016.

Essentially, the main actions of the initiative are that it:

-authorizes parole consideration for nonviolent inmates who complete the full sentence for their primary offense;

-allows inmates to earn credits for good behavior, education and rehabilitative achievement; and

-requires judges rather than prosecutors to decide whether juveniles as young as 14-years-old should be tried as adults.

The purpose of the act, according to a news release from Gov. Brown’s office in January, is to

1. Protect and enhance public safety.
2. Save money by reducing wasteful spending on prisons.
3. Prevent federal courts from indiscriminately releasing prisoners.
4. Stop the revolving door of crime by emphasizing rehabilitation, especially for juveniles.
5. Require a judge, not a prosecutor, to decide whether juveniles should be tried in adult.

Supporters of the measure say it’s absolutely a necessary step to reduce recidivism, the rate at which people return to jail after an initial arrest.

“The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016 stops the arbitrary prisoner release and improves public safety,” according to a website funded by Gov. Brown’s Ballot Measure Committee. “Countless studies have shown that the more people are rehabilitated, the less likely they are to re-offend. By investing in strategic rehabilitation, the initiative will protect California communities and ensure the most dangerous criminals stay locked up.”

A representative could not be immediately reached for comment at a 1-800 number set up to support the measure online.

However, Antonovich said the bill’s name is grossly misleading and, similar to Proposition 47, is another misguided initiative.

“This ineptly named initiative would result in the early release of thousands more state prisoners,” said Antonovich.  “Crime is already on the upswing due to Governor Brown’s recent prison reduction program — the last thing we need is more crime.”

The police chiefs representative issues a statement claiming the initiative would make California’s “Three Strikes” laws meaningless.