Frustrated by the widespread presence of the homeless, rampant smashing, looting, and drug infestation in California communities, voters in the state have the opportunity to change the current situation in the upcoming November election – by voting to amend the chaos created by Proposition 47 and to harshly punish criminals.
On Thursday, April 18, the “Californians for Safer Communities Coalition,” which is driving the amendment of Proposition 47, announced that the statewide initiative titled “The Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act” (Initiative No: 23-0017A1) has gathered over 900,000 voter signatures.
Next, the election office will verify the signatures. If they manage to obtain 546,651 valid voter signatures, the initiative will be on the ballot in November for California voters to participate in a statewide referendum.
This initiative has not only received support from the California District Attorneys Association, the California Police Chiefs Association, and the California Sheriff Association, among other public safety leaders but also from the public, elected officials, law enforcement agencies, and businesses.
Since the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014, crime rates have surged across the state. This well-known law that classifies thefts under $950 as non-serious felonies has become a nightmare for California property owners and residents. However, officials including the California Governor still support it.
Under the protection of Proposition 47, there has been a surge in smashing, looting crimes across the state, and even habitual offenders from other states have flocked to California to commit theft.
A sheriff from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told a reporter from Epoch Times, “We recently arrested two Asian women from New York for theft. They admitted they saw online that ‘you can come to California to steal, and if you steal under $950, you won’t go to jail even if caught.’ This has truly posed significant challenges for our law enforcement.”
The sheriff revealed that law enforcement not only has to deal with local criminals but also with thieves from different parts of the United States.
As the director of outreach for the initiative “Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act,” Li Shaomin stated that polls show over 70% of people support amending Proposition 47. He also thanked everyone for their support in successfully completing the signature collection process, calling it a victory for the people of California and great news that has delighted the Chinese community.
“One major focus of the initiative is to mandate that individuals arrested three times for possession of hard drugs be sent to drug rehabilitation facilities to reduce both thieves and the homeless, killing two birds with one stone and tightening laws against thieves and drug dealers,” he said.
This initiative includes three key points: anyone arrested three times for theft, regardless of the amount, will be charged with a felony; strengthening penalties for drug traffickers, especially those dealing fentanyl, to further combat drug addiction and homelessness; individuals found possessing opioids, cocaine, and other hard drugs will be required to undergo mandatory drug rehabilitation, or else face felony charges.
The “Californians for Safer Communities Coalition” stated that this bipartisan initiative focuses on improving the safety of every community and neighborhood in California, primarily targeting habitual thieves and severe drug traffickers like fentanyl, while also encouraging more people to participate in and complete drug rehabilitation programs. This measure serves as a deterrent to repeat offenders and redirects drug users towards treatment rather than imprisonment.
Li Shaomin urged everyone to help spread awareness of the importance of this initiative and encouraged all voters to support it in the November election.
责任编辑：嘉莲