State of California Archives: on Crime
Kevin de Leon:
Gang violence plagues our neighborhoods
While crime is down in Los Angeles, one of my greatest frustrations is the ongoing gang violence that continues to plague our neighborhoods. While walking precincts during my first campaign, I stumbled across bullet casings
on sidewalks--just feet from where children were playing. I have ever since been determined to get the handgun ammunition that fuels this violence out of the hands of criminals and gang-bangers.
Source: 2018 California Senate campaign website KevinDeLeon.com
Jan 1, 2018
Delaine Eastin:
Manage crime with improved education
Eastin also presented her views on managing crime through an increased concentration on education. She made her case with talking points including kids having access to preschool, mandatory kindergarten and strategies
that she claims led to increased attendance, graduation and no suspensions in four years. "If we did a better job with education, we could break the school to prison
Source: Turlock Journal on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Nov 17, 2017
Travis Allen:
Protect victims, not criminals
Travis has been fighting for policies to keep criminals off of our streets and out of our neighborhoods. In 2014, the "realignment" law released thousands of criminals from state prisons. Since then, crime has spiked--increasing by 7.6% in 2015 alone,
and violent crimes have increased by double digits in major cities in 2016.˙ California must re-establish our tough on crime policies that allow law enforcement to do their jobs and protect the victims of crimes, not the criminals.
Source: 2018 California Gubernatorial website JoinTravisAllen.com
Sep 1, 2017
Gavin Newsom:
Criminal justice reform is crucial; repeal death penalty
At a forum organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, which pushes back against tough-on-crime laws, Newsom, the lone statewide politician to endorse Proposition 47 in 2014,
which made nonviolent offenses like drug and property crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies, implored them to keep it up. "We'll get there on (repealing) the death penalty," Newsom said.
Source: The Sacramento Bee on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Apr 4, 2017
John Chiang:
Education & anti-poverty to fight crime
Chiang said his family was "struck deeply by crime" after his sister was abducted and killed in 1999. "My family, we're Catholic. We believe in redemption. We believe in hope," Chiang said. "We also believe in being serious on crime.
You want people in the right place, but we're trying to build a better society." He said the state should focus on educating children and addressing poverty to prevent crime.
Source: US News & World Report on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Apr 4, 2017
Jimmy Panetta:
Supports alternatives but accepts mandatory minimums
Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?A: Yes
Q: Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders?
A: As a prosecutor, I must uphold the laws only after a thorough review of all facts, but ultimately that decision is up to the people. Every American deserves equal justice under the law
Source: Vote-Smart 2016 California Political Courage Test
Nov 8, 2016
Ro Khanna:
Support alternatives to prison; oppose capital punishment
Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?A: No
Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
A: Yes
Source: Vote-Smart 2016 California Political Courage Test
Nov 8, 2016
Kamala Harris:
Don't require cops to wear body cameras
Joining fellow law enforcement officials, California Attorney General Kamala Harris said she doesn't believe there should be statewide standards regulating the use of body-worn cameras by police officers: "I as a general matter believe
that we should invest in the ability of law enforcement leaders in specific regions and with their departments to use discretion to figure out what technology they are going to adopt based on needs that they have and resources that they have.
I don't think we can have a one-size-fits-all approach to this," she said.Harris, whose own department is the first statewide agency to adopt a body camera program, waded into an issue that has sparked intense debate at the Capitol.
One measure, Assembly Bill 66, has undergone several revisions to permit police officers in most jurisdictions to review footage captured on the cameras before giving a report of an incident involving force.
Source: Sacramento Bee coverage of 2016 California Senate race
May 27, 2015
Kamala Harris:
Acknowledge that certain communities distrust police
Use of the body-worn camera equipment was thrust into the national dialogue following a string of officer-involved incidents, many involving young African Americans.
Harris has established a new training protocol for law enforcement that focuses on "implicit bias" and related issues. Harris said there needs to be broader acknowledgment that certain communities distrust law enforcement.
"We have a history in this country that we can be proud of and then there's a part of the history that we are not proud of,"
Harris said, adding, "But we also have to acknowledge that the relationship of trust is a reciprocal relationship, and everyone has a responsibility to be a part of leading that effort."
Source: Sacramento Bee coverage of 2016 California Senate race
May 27, 2015
Norma Torres:
Work with the community to combat crime
Making sure the public safety system is responsive and working collaboratively with the community to combat crime has been one of Torres' priorities. A former 9-1-1 dispatcher, Torres understands the fear families face during emergencies.
That is why she wrote the law that modernized the 9-1-1 system so that cell phone users are immediately routed to their local police department and not a statewide call center.
The California Sheriff's Association, League of California Cities, Professional Engineers in California Government, Yellow Ribbon America, and the
American Hero's Foundation, among many others, have recognized her for her outstanding leadership.
Source: 2014 California House campaign website, NormaTorres.com
Oct 10, 2014
Jerry Brown:
Major reductions in our prison population
In the field of public safety, we have changed historic practices in our prison system and transferred significant responsibilities to local authorities. The Federal courts, backed up by the United States Supreme Court, have ordered major reductions in
our prison population and dramatic improvements in the medical and mental health programs that the state makes available. In response, we have transferred the supervision of tens of thousands of lower level offenders from the state to our 58 counties.
This realignment is bold and far reaching, but necessary under the circumstances. And local law enforcement has risen to the occasion.Our prisons are pioneering new programs and treatments--and so are the counties.
Last week, I visited the Lerdo Jail just north of Bakersfield and sat in on some classes. It was moving to hear the men's stories and the struggles they encounter.
Source: 2014 State of the State Address to California legislature
Jan 22, 2014
Neel Kashkari:
Don't release dangerous people onto the streets
On prison reform: Kashkari says Brown has "pushed the problems on to someone else. We need temporary measures'' to ensure California will "not release dangerous people in to the streets.''
He calls for a "comprehensive review of our prison system, both looking at the number of beds we have and who we locking up,'' especially when it comes to minor drug offenses.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle on 2014 California governor race
Nov 14, 2013
Antonio Villaraigosa:
Reduced violent crime by 50%; increased size of LAPD
To mark his time as mayor, his staff put together a 60-page book, titled "Straight from the Heart of L.A." that details his accomplishments over the past eight years. Among the accomplishments:
- reducing violent crime by 50%
- reducing gang crime by 43%
- expanding the LAPD to 10,000 officers.
Source: Huffington Post on 2014 California Governor race
Jun 23, 2013
Jerry Brown:
Curb prison spending through an historic realignment
You, the California legislature, did it. You cast difficult votes to cut billions from the state budget. You curbed prison spending through an historic realignment and you reformed and reduced the state's long term pension liabilities.
Then, the citizens of California, using their inherent political power under the Constitution, finished the task. They embraced the new taxes of Proposition 30 by a healthy margin of 55% to 44%.
Source: 2013 State of the State address to California Legislature
Jan 24, 2013
Jared Huffman:
Life-without-parole instead of capital punishment
Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?A: No. I believe life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) should replace the failed, flawed and hugely expensive policy of capital punishment. In California, capital punishment
has had the unintended effect of allowing heinous murderers to live out their natural lives in a more comfortable and secure prison setting than if they had received the sentence of LWOP, while driving up the costs of incarceration.
Source: California Congressional 2012 Political Courage Test
Oct 30, 2012
Gloria La Riva:
Opposes capital punishment; shut down most prisons
Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?No.
Q: Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related training and job-placement assistance when released?
Yes.
Q: Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with substance abuse treatment?
Yes.
Q: Do you support reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders?
Yes.
Q: Do you support mandatory prison sentences for selling illegal drugs?
No.
La Riva adds, "The U.S. alone has 25% of the world's prison population. Most prisons should be shut down and replaced with community justice programs."
Source: California Congressional 2010 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2010
Julia Brownley:
Opposes capital punishment
Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?A: No.
Q: Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
A: No.
Source: California Congressional 2010 Political Courage Test
Oct 30, 2010
Julia Brownley:
Alternative sentencing and separate juvenile courts
Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?A: Yes.
Q: Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
A: No.
Q: Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
A: No.
Source: California Congressional 2010 Political Courage Test
Oct 30, 2010
Arnold Schwarzenegger:
Allow private prisons to compete, to spend less on prisons
The priorities have become out of whack over the years. 30 years ago 10% of the general fund went to higher education and 3% went to prisons. Today, almost 11% goes to prisons and only 7.5% goes to higher education. Spending 45% more on prisons than
universities is no way to proceed into the future. What does it say about our state? It simply is not healthy. So I will submit to you a constitutional amendment so that never again do we spend a greater percentage of our money on prisons than on higher
education.
And the way we get this done is to find more cost-effective ways to run our prison system and allows private prisons to compete with public prisons. Competition and choice are always good. I mean, California spends $50,000 per prisoner. The
ten largest states spend $32,000 only.
If California's prisons were privately run, it would save us billions of dollars a year. That's billions of dollars that could go back into higher education where it belongs and where it better serves our future.
Source: California 2010 State of the State Address
Jan 6, 2010
Dick Mountjoy:
No visitation for sex offenders with kids or grandkids
BILL NUMBER: AB 2893 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mountjoy: Sex offenders: child custody and visitation. Existing law requires a person convicted of certain sex offenses to register with the local law enforcement officer of the city or county
where he or she resides. Existing law prohibits a person from being granted physical or legal custody of, or unsupervised visitation with, a child if the person is required to register as a sex offender and the victim was a minor or the person has
committed another specified crime against a child, unless the court finds that there is no significant risk to the child and states its reasons in writing or on the record. This bill would prohibit a person from being granted physical or legal custody
of, or unsupervised visitation with, his or her children or grandchildren if the person is required to be registered as a sex offender and the victim was the person’s child or grandchild.
Source: California Legislative records, AB 2893
Dec 24, 2005
Bill Jones:
Three Strikes is a worthy criminal justice reform
As the author of California’s famed “3 Strikes” law, Jones helped lead the criminal justice reforms that today are proving their worth in declining rates of crime.
He is the only Republican running that has developed a comprehensive homeland defense plan that integrates local, state and federal resources.
Source: 2004 Senate campaign website JonesForCalifornia.com “Issues”
May 2, 2004
Kamala Harris:
Personally opposed to death penalty; as DA, never pursued it
While Harris has argued that she has always been personally opposed to the death penalty, some media sources questioned whether she altered her position in the run-up to election in 2010. Though she stated in her 2004 inaugural address as
San Francisco's District Attorney that she would never charge the death penalty, when asked during her campaign for attorney general if there would ever be a time when she would seek the death penalty,
she answered, "We take each case on a case by case basis, and I'll make decisions on each case as they arise."The Chris Kelly campaign, in an effort to emphasize the San Francisco DA's refusal to enforce the law, released a video that shows
Harris telling an astonished reporter for the local KTVU news station that "she had never seen a case that merited pursuing the death penalty during her time as District Attorney."
Source: Ballotpedia.org coverage of 2016 California Senate race
Jan 30, 2004
Page last updated: Feb 12, 2018