A California sheriff blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom for using “false” crime statistics as a way to protect progressive policies that have failed to address the rampant crime, homelessness and drug deaths that have gripped the Golden State.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco accused the Democrat of lying as a way to protect Proposition 47, a law approved by California voters in 2014 lower penalties for drug and property crimes.
Bianco said Newsom has resisted changing the law to save face as the state continues to grapple with the consequences of rolling back harsher sentences against criminals and drug addicts.
“Right now they’re against it because, in basic terms, they’re going to have to admit that Prop 47 was a disaster that they’ve been trying to defend for years since its death,” Bianco said. Fox news in an interview.
“The reality of a leader, a true leader, is someone who can say, ‘Look, we had good intentions about something, but we had some unintended consequences that we now have to fix.’
The sheriff added, “That would have been a leadership way for our government to move forward here.” but instead, they have spent the last decade completely defending Prop 47. They lied to the public.”
Bianco is among a group of top executives pushing for a new ballot measure called the Homeless, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, which would undo parts of the highly controversial Prop 47.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has criticized Governor Gavin Newsom for woke policies that he says have contributed to the increase in crime and homelessness across the state
The Democrat governor indicated he opposes changes to Prop 47, which would have reduced narcotics possession and other crimes from felonies to misdemeanors
The proposed measure, which could come to a vote in November, would not only downgrade drug and theft offenses from misdemeanors to misdemeanors, but would also allow judges to order drug rehab for offenders.
Bianco said the Golden State has long suffered the aftereffects of Prop 47 and is now experiencing its stark negative consequences.
Newsom has resisted calls to roll back Prop 47. Earlier this year, he asked local lawmakers to instead create new crime categories that would target “professional” offenders.
“I think it’s important to be on the same page with people,” Newsom said. “Again, not to say that everything about (Prop) 47 is clever and perfect. We want to correct some ambiguities, but we can do that without reform or going back to the voters themselves.’
Since 2019, Newsom has poured about $1.1 billion from state coffers to combat organized retail theft and other crimes under his Real Public Safety Plan.
As part of his plan to address rising crime in Oakland, the governor said announced last month 480 new high-tech cameras would be installed along busy streets to help identify criminals.
According to the Oakland Police Department, robberies were up 32% in March compared to the same period last year.
Police have issued an alert warning Oakland residents about the increase in robberies, even while drivers are still in their cars.
Oakland’s burglary problems made national headlines after the city’s only In-N-Out burger location decided to close its doors on March 25 after 18 years at 8300 Oakport Street.
Oakland’s only In-N-Out had to close after customers and employees fell victim to robbers
Denny Warnock, In-N-Out’s chief operations officer, wrote in a statement: “Despite repeated steps to create safer conditions, our customers and associates are regularly victims of auto burglaries, property damage, theft and armed robberies.”
However, Newsom’s high-tech camera plan backfired and drew criticism as residents and privacy advocates claimed the governor was turning their city into a “surveillance state.”
Cat Brooks, founder of the Anti-Police Terror Project, criticized Newsom’s surveillance plan. She said the money could have been better used to address the city’s growing homeless population.
“We are concerned about both a state and a city with massive budget deficits and the largest homeless population in our city and in the nation,” Brooks said in a statement. “If we decide to deploy 480 new cameras, we have to ask ourselves how many people can be housed with the money we spend on this, how many people can be trained to do living wage jobs.”
Volunteers help clear out belongings at a homeless encampment near the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland after the city ordered the removal and cleaning of the area where between 30 and 40 people live in cars, RVs, tents and other makeshift structures to make
She added: “The approach follows the same failed strategies we have been following for decades. “We’ve never stopped sending people to prison, but crime continues to rise because it’s an approach that doesn’t work.”
DailyMail.com has previously reported that cities like San Francisco are still experiencing a “doom loop” economic collapse and stand to lose millions of dollars as businesses leave the Bay Area and other parts of the state.
Pedestrians walk past the iconic Macy’s flagship store on Union Square in downtown San Francisco, which is about to close. More than a dozen stores in the once thriving downtown area have closed due to lack of foot traffic, crime and rampant drug use in the area
San Francisco Mayor London Breed in December proposed a 10% budget cut by 2024 as the city struggles with homelessness, overdoses from fentanyl and other drugs and an exodus of downtown businesses.
Nathan Hochman, a former assistant U.S. attorney general, said California voters are ready for change and are tired of feeling unsafe.
Hochman, an independent, is running in November against Democrat LA County District Attorney George Gascon, the co-author of Prop 47.
He said shoplifting has increased about 81% in LA County in the past year.
Most people detained for non-serious and non-violent crimes can be cited and released on the spot, or can be arrested and then released from jail with orders to appear before a judge if charges are filed.
However, many never bother to appear in court, Hochman said.
Under Gascon’s policy, prosecutors are also instructed not to ask the judge for bail for non-serious and non-violent offenders.
“Right now you can commit 800 crimes and it will never become a crime,” Hochman told DailyMail.com. “So in LA County you have a combination of these Prop 47 laws with a prosecutor (Gascon) refusing to prosecute certain types of crimes. It creates a situation where many criminals in Los Angeles County think they have a license to steal, and often they do.”
Hochman added that while Newsom and other Prop 47 supporters were “looking for short-term solutions,” the current law has not stopped repeat offenders.
Nathan Hochman, an independent candidate running against LA County District Attorney George Gascon, said voters are ‘fed up’ with rising crime and homelessness
“Mayors in California are looking around and tearing their hair out and saying the laws are weak,” Hochman said. “And even if they are enforced, the criminals understand them better than the legislature because they continue to commit these crimes and face almost no punishment even if they are caught. They’ll go back and do it again.’
“I think California voters are incredibly fed up and frustrated and are looking for elected officials and proposals to support that will go a long way toward restoring safety to their communities.”
