(May 14, 2008) -- LB Police Chief Tony Batts says he's pleased to learn (story first reported yesterday by SacBee.com, linked on LBReport.com) that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has dropped a plan to release from state prisons over 20,000 so-called "low level" felons as a budget balancing measure.

Offering brief telephone reaction to the report, Chief Batts said he was glad to hear the news...and the Governor's change in plans is a good thing for Long Beach.

As previously reported by LBReport.com, on January 29 Chief Batts expressed concern at LBPD's annual Crime Prevention Meeting about the Governor's inmate release plan, saying it posed a potential crime challenge for LB in 2008.

At that time, Chief Batts said the inmate release was problematic "because [although the Governor talks about releasing "low level prisoners," the people he's going to be releasing are people who usually the burglars, who usually do property crimes and narcotics, people who have arrests for narcotics...[W]ithout a system to get them jobs...or a program to get them into a very positive way; if they don't have a way to earn money, they tend to go back and do the same things that they were doing..."

On January 24, the CA Police Chiefs Ass'n joined with the CA District Attorneys Ass'n, CA Narcotic Officers Ass'n, CA Peace Officers' Ass'n, CA State Sheriffs' Ass'n and Chief Probation Officers of CA in a publicly released letter to the Governor, expressing concerns "about the destructive public safety dimensions" of the then-proposed budget [revised version set for release today, May 14] which included the early release of 20,000+ "non violent" felons.

[T]he proposed early release of more than 22,000 convicted felons from state prison exacerbates the danger to public safety that is sure to result from the above-mentioned cuts. We realize that the premature release that is contemplated is that of so-called "low-level" or "non-violent" felons, but we would submit that these labels are misleading in that, in most every case, they will not accurately describe the type of person that will be released. Additionally, the risk would be magnified by a potential inmate release ordered by the federal three-judge panel, should one occur.

The fact is, the people who will be released from state prison are not going to be mistaken for Nobel laureates, and are capable of violent conduct. For example, Charles Manson was a so-called "low-level" or "non-violent" felon before he embarked on his rampage...

The reality is, the wholesale release of these felons will result in an increase in violent crime and it will negatively impact our ability to stem the tide of the current crime trends mentioned above...

Today (May 14), the Governor's office is scheduled to release its annual "May Revise," a budget update reflecting the latest revenue and spending figures...and changes offered by the Governor to his proposed FY 09 spending plan.

The state legislature, not the Governor, ultimately decides on spending. Dems hold a majority (in districts they drew) both in the Assembly and State Senate...but not the 2/3 majority needed to pass a budget without the support of at least a few Repubs.