The state of California is currently embroiled in a contentious debate over crime and punishment, with Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom at the center of the storm.
Despite his recent efforts to increase police presence across the state, Newsom is facing mounting criticism for his refusal to allocate sufficient funding for Proposition 36, a bipartisan law aimed at cracking down on crime.
This law, which was supported by a significant 68% of voters in the November elections, has been dismissed by the governor as a conduit to excessive incarceration.
Newsom's recent announcement of an increased number of Highway Patrol officers in California cities was met with mixed reactions. While the governor insists that President Donald Trump's claims of California needing the National Guard's assistance are unfounded, local officials and residents are calling for more funds to be dedicated to Proposition 36.
According to the California Legislative Analysts Office, this law has turned certain theft and property-related misdemeanors into felonies, extended sentences, and increased the consequences for repeat drug offenders.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Newsom's office has stated that the governor is committed to implementing Proposition 36, as evidenced by a portion of funding for the law in the states budget.
However, Newsom continues to oppose parts of the law, arguing that they would divert funds from mental health and drug treatment, K-12 school programs, and housing services to increase incarceration rates. "Its about mass incarceration, not mass treatment," Newsom said of the new law in September 2024.
Newsom's stance is that if counties wish to enforce the law, they should rely more on their own funding. He has agreed to allocate $100 million in the state budget for county behavioral health departments, pre-trial services, and court expenses.
However, supporters of Proposition 36 argue that $400 million is needed for smooth enforcement of the law. This sentiment was echoed loudly at a Torrance town hall meeting, where attendees criticized the governor for his lack of support.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman expressed his frustration with the slow implementation of the law, stating, If the jails effectively have to be the treatment centers, they are not equipped fully to be proper treatment centers. Hochman, along with Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and Interim Torrance Police Chief Robert Dunn, called on Newsom to provide more funding for the law.
Proposition 36 has overturned parts of the Newsom-backed Proposition 47, which downgraded thefts of less than $950 from felonies to misdemeanors. The Public Policy Institute of California has linked the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014 with a rise in some property crime.
However, the governor's office maintains that California continues to dedicate funds to drug and mental health treatment available under both Propositions 36 and 47, indicating an overlap between the two laws.
Despite these assurances, some believe that Newsom's support is insufficient. Steve Smith, a public safety expert for the California-based Pacific Research Institute, told the Daily Caller that without the necessary legal tools to confront repeat offenders, crime suppression teams and the National Guard will face the same long-term problem that local police face a game of criminal whack-a-mole.
Newsom's handling of the situation has drawn criticism from both Republican and Democratic state lawmakers, as well as local business owners who feel that the governor is failing to protect them against shoplifters.
Newsom's decision to deploy Highway Patrol officers to six regions of California is an expansion of a strategy he has previously implemented in other areas. However, his dismissal of concerns about crime in California by pointing to Republican-led states with higher homicide rates has been met with skepticism, as data shows that California has higher violent crime and felony arrest rates than most of the country.
Despite a 6% decrease in violent crime across California in 2024, rates remain 10.8% higher than pre-COVID-19 levels. President Trump has suggested deploying the National Guard to liberal cities around the country to maintain order, a move that Newsom has vehemently opposed, even going as far as to sue over Trump's decision to send troops into Los Angeles amid violent rioting.
As the debate continues, it is clear that if Newsom wishes to avoid federal intervention, he must take more decisive action to help counties clean their streets. As Smith pointed out, "If Prop 36 had been funded Governor Newsom would not be faced with the threat of National Guard Deployment!"
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