Imagine the reaction if, after a loan officer told an applicant they would not receive a loan because of too much debt, the applicant asked “How about we just disregard 25% of my debt?”
As illogical as this sounds, it was the approach recently articulated by a group seeking to downplay the crime rate increases in California following various criminal justice “reforms.” In a study picked up by a few newspapers, the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJJ) opined that the crime rate statewide in California decreased following these reforms – if you excluded Los Angeles County. Yes, Los Angeles County, where more than one out of four residents of California reside!
The propaganda espoused by proponents of these various reform measures is that crime is not really rising very much so long as it isn’t as bad as it was 30 years ago. They continue that trend with their attempt to manipulate the statewide crime rate increase by excluding more than 25% of the population.
Contrary to the line peddled by CJJ, the violent crime rate in California per 100,000 has risen since the passage of AB 109. AB 109 was enacted in October, 2011, a year when the violent crime rate in California was 413.3 per 100,000. In 2016, the violent crime rate in California was 443.9 — an increase of more than 7% over the 2011 violent crime rate.
Likewise noteworthy is the increase in the property crime rate since the 2014 passage of Prop 47 which reduced multiple theft offenses to inconsequential misdemeanors. The property crime rate in California increased in both 2015 and 2016 from the property crime rate in 2014, years in which the rest of the United States marked two more years of a continuation of a 14-year decrease in property crime rates. Further, prior to Prop 47, California had seen three straight years of property crime rate decreases.
The ADDA has joined crime victims, law enforcement, business owners and public safety leaders working to pass the “Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018.” This initiative will address some of the serious flaws brought on by “criminal justice reform.” Learn more about “Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018” at www.KeepCaliforniaSafe.org
Michele Hanisee is President of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the collective bargaining agent representing nearly 1,000 Deputy District Attorneys who work for the County of Los Angeles.
This article was originally published by Fox and Hounds Daily
Recommendations: Real punishment that fits the crime; rape and murder – death penalty, robbery, burglary – significant prison time with 5 times restitution, vandalism – prison time that fits the degree of damage and 5 times restitution. Fix the prison system, no more free medical, their families can pay, or not. No more recreation rooms, no TV, only limited radio and limited newsprint. Shaved heads, one blanket, 70 degrees in the winter, no cooling air conditioners, no libraries, particularly law libraries. limited education opportunities that have to be earned. My heavens I could go on but bottom line make the punishment fit the crime and most of your crime problems will be solved in just a few years, once they get the message that you are following through.
California’s are a bunch of weak, pathetic cowards hiding behind the governor’s and Legislator’s skirts!
It is not the taxpayers obligation to educate after their high school years, not to medicate because they are in jail, not to coddle because they don’t have freedoms, and not to turn into lawyers so they can abuse the system.
I’m tired of this, grow up California and get a pair!
Those are all good suggestions.
it’s a shame Calif. won’t do even 1 of them.
Calif. is dominated by Democrats.
retiredxlr8r for California Governor 2018 !!!
We just have to understand what causes crime. Let’s quit victimizing the poor person.. It’s the weapon that causes crime. If we just would outlaw all baseball bats, knives, guns and glass bottles that break, the problem would be solved.
If you will kindly ignore 25% of my weight I can still fit into a pair of size 34 pants.