Per the request and motion of Mayor Jones, the City Council approved an agenda item to consider adopting a resolution supporting the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018.  This statutory measure has been cleared for circulation by the Secretary of State to qualify for the November 2018 ballot.

Over the past several years the California Legislature and the electorate have passed a number of initiatives related to public safety including AB109, Proposition 47, and Proposition 57.  These initiatives were designed to reduce the number of persons sentenced to state prison thereby reducing overcrowding in the prison system.  The initiatives diverted persons housed in the State prison system back into County jail, reduced sentencing exposure for certain offenses, and eliminated previously designated violent offenses from sentencing guidelines. 

The cumulative effect of these law changes has resulted in unintended consequences and critical public safety impacts, including increases in property theft and violent crimes and a significant reduction in the number of hits in the DNA database thereby reducing the number of cold case crimes that are solved.  The Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018 will fix loopholes in AB109, Proposition 47 and Proposition 57 that have resulted in many of the unintended consequences. 

Specifically, the measure will do the following:

1.   Increase penalties for certain theft-related crimes by reinstating felony convictions for serial theft when a person is caught stealing for a third time with a value of $250;

2.   Change nonviolent offender release consideration processes and expand the list of violent crimes for which early release is not an option;

3.   Change community supervision practices by requiring the Board of Parole Hearings to consider an inmate’s entire criminal history when deciding parole and require a mandatory hearing to determine whether parole should be revoked for any parolee who violates the terms of his/her parole for the third time.

 4.   Reinstate DNA collection for crimes that were reduced to misdemeanors under Proposition 47.

A support position on the measure was recently adopted by the League of California Cities, Orange County Division Board of Directors.  The measure is also supported by the California Police Chiefs Association, California District Attorneys Association and a growing number of public safety, community and business leaders throughout the State. 

There is no financial impact to supporting the Act.  However, if the Act is approved and implemented, it is anticipated to reduce long-term costs to the City and community through a reduction in crime.

It is recommended that the City Council:

• Adopt the attached Resolution supporting the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018.