The report ("Impact of Proposition 47 on Crime and Recidivism") indicates that by the end of 2016, Prop 47 had reduced CA's prison and jail populations by more than 15,000 inmates, on of the measure's stated goals. At the same time, [PPIC release text] "Proposition 47 had no apparent impact on burglaries or auto thefts, but it did contribute to an increase in larcenies -- such as theft from motor vehicles and shoplifting -- which increased by roughly 9 percent, or about 135 more thefts per 100,000 residents. Thefts from motor vehicles account for about three-quarters of this increase."

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Regarding property crimes, the PPIC report found that Prop 47 had no apparent impact on burglaries or auto thefts, but did contribute to an increase in larcenies -- such as theft from motor vehicles and shoplifting -- which increased by roughly 9 percent, or about 135 more thefts per 100,000 residents. Thefts from motor vehicles account for about three-quarters of this increase.

Although CA's violent crime rate also increased from 2014 to 2016, the report says this trend appears to have begun before November 2014 and attributes it largely to unrelated changes in crime reporting.

The report acknowledges that Prop 47 also called for redirecting savings from reduced prison incarceration to treatment interventions, but says allocating those sums only recently began, so the initiative’s full impact on treatment and recidivism is still unknown.

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On or before April 9, Councilmembers Stacy Mungo and Suzie Price scheduled an April 17 City Council item seeking to put the City of LB on record supporting the "Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018," a petition initiative currently gathering signatures (deadline: July 3) to revise portions of Prop 47, plus AB 109 (Sac'to enacted state prison "realignment") and Prop 57 (voter enacted Nov. 2016, greater opportunities for parole.)

In agendizing the April 17 item, Mungo and Price wrote in pertinent part: "To address the unintended consequences of recent state laws and further protect public safety and the safety of the visitors, businesses and residents of the City of Long Beach, it is recommended that the Mayor and City Council direct the City Attorney to draft a resolution for Council consideration in support of the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018." A quick internet search shows a number of smaller cities have enacted similar resolutions, but it appears that Long Beach would be the largest CA city to date to do so.

[Mungo-Price April 10 agendizing memo text]

In an effort to reduce the prison population, increase parole options and lower penalties for drug possession and consumption, several legislative and voter approved initiatives have been adopted over the last several years, including AB 109 and Propositions 47 and 57.

However, along with those changes have come a slew of unintended consequences that have undermined public safety and have had a significant negative economic impact on business. Some examples include:

• Changes to parole laws allowed the early release of dangerous criminals by the law's failure to define certain crimes as "violent." These changes allowed individuals convicted of sex trafficking of children, rape of an unconscious person, felony assault with a deadly weapon, battery on a police officer or firefighter, and felony domestic violence to be considered "nonviolent offenders."
• Violent offenders are also being allowed to remain free in our communities even when they commit new crimes and violate the terms of their post release community supervision, like the gang member charged with the murder of Whittier Police Officer, Keith Boyer.
• Individuals who steal repeatedly face few consequences, regardless of their criminal record or how many times they steal. As a result, between 2014 and 2016, California had the 2nd highest increase in theft and property crimes in the United States, while most states have seen a steady decline. According to the California Department of Justice, the value of property stolen in 2015 was $2.5 billion with an increase of 13 percent since 2014, the largest single-year increase in at least ten years.
• Such thefts are often committed to support drug habits, yet the recent changes to California law have reduced judges' ability to order individuals convicted of repeated theft crimes into effective drug treatment programs.
• Recent changes to California law unintentionally eliminated DNA collection for theft and drug crimes. Collecting DNA from criminals is essential to solving violent crimes. Over 450 violent crimes including murder, rape and robbery have gone unsolved because DNA is being collected from fewer criminals. DNA collected in 2015 from a convicted child molester solved the rape-murders of two six-year-old boys that occurred three decades ago in Los Angeles County. DNA collected in 2016 from an individual caught driving a stolen car solved the 2012 San Francisco Bay Area rape/murder of an 83-year-old woman.

As a result, public safety leaders, law enforcement agencies, state and local officials and business leaders have come together to address the flaws and unintended consequences of AB 109 and Propositions 4 7 and 57 through a new initiative called the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018.

The Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018 [full text here] proposes several "fixes" for these unintended consequences, including:

• Expands the list of violent crimes for which early release is not an option...

• Reinstates DNA collection for certain crimes that were reduced to misdemeanors as part of Proposition 47.,,

• Revises the theft threshold by adding a felony for serial theft when a person is caught for the 3rd time stealing with a value of $250.
  Prop. 47 changed the dollar threshold for theft to be considered a felony, from $450 to $950, resulting in increased thefts statewide--grocery store operators around the state have seen unprecedented increases in the amount of losses associated with shoplifting in their stores, with some reporting up to 150% increases in these losses from 2012 to present, with the largest jumps occurring since 2014.

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The Mungo-Price agendized item brought push-back from a number of allied LB policy groups, who said they had the support of 2nd dist. Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce. An April 16 release from James Suazo (Associate Director "Building Healthy Communities Long Beach") listed as opponents Councilwoman Pearce; Tanu Ah You, Project ALOFA & All of Us or None & Long Beach Coalition for Safety and Justice; Amber Rose Howard, Californians United for a Responsible Budget & All of Us or None; Jose Osuna, Restore Ink & All of Us or None;

The groups' push-back release stated, "This City Council agenda item is a step in the wrong direction and a dismissal of the many community members who have received a second chance and changed their lives because of justice reform measures like Propositions 47 and 57," said Tanu Ah You of Project ALOFA and member of the Long Beach Coalition for Safety and Justice. "It's important that we double down on justice reform and continue to reduce our reliance on costly and ineffective incarceration. We have spent billions of taxpayer dollars every year on incarceration, failing to address the root causes of crime like mental health and addiction. This agenda item is a step in the wrong direction and inconsistent with our Long Beach values of fairness and inclusion."

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Hours before the April 17 Council meeting, Councilwoman Mungo Tweeted that she pulled the item off that night's Council agenda, writing "Thank you to all who have reached out to our office on the Safe Communities agenda item - I am pulling the item from tomorrow's agenda to allow for more time to meet with individuals who want to be heard."

Opponents of the Mungo/Price agenda item gloated in a follow-up release that Mungo's action "is a direct result of the community pressure from systems-impacted individuals and Long Beach residents who made it loud and clear that this agenda item is inconsistent with our Long Beach values." The group added that it plans to continue to plans to hold a press conference outside City Hall at 4:30 p.m...but now to "to celebrate this important victory and show elected officials that the Long Beach community stands for smart justice and second chances."

Councilwoman Mungo was re-elected in a June 5 runoff. Councilwoman Price was re-elected on April 10.

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