Assemblyman Vince Fong Endorses Public Safety Initiative to Combat Rising Crime and Protect Community Safety

SACRAMENTO, CA –Assemblyman Vince Fong announced his endorsement of the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act, which will be on the November ballot in 2020. The growing concerns regarding public safety throughout California are attributed to prior Propositions (Prop. 47 and Prop. 57) and early release laws.

This new public safety initiative seeks to expand the list of violent crimes for which early release is not an option. Under current law, rape of an unconscious person, trafficking a child for sex, assaulting a peace officer, and other similar crimes are not classified as “violent felonies.” Additionally, Prop 47 changed the threshold for theft to be considered a felony to $950, which has resulted in a massive increase in theft after Prop 47 went into effect. The public safety initiative revises Prop 47 so that a person caught stealing for the 3rd time of a substantial amount can be considered a felony for serial theft.

“The growing concern regarding public safety is real, and we must act,” said Fong. “We see the consequences of past decisions made in Sacramento and the impact in our neighborhoods. I endorse this initiative with law enforcement groups statewide because we all need a state where we do not have to worry about the safety of our community, family and children.”

“Current policies are significantly contributing to unintended and dangerous impacts to community safety throughout the State. This initiative fixes the broken policies that are allowing the early release of criminals guilty of rape of an unconscious person and selling of a child for sex. We need to also fix the loophole that is dramatically increasing the tide of serial theft in our communities. We are supporting these reforms to our criminal justice system so that the public is better protected,” said Ronald Lawrence, President of the California Police Chiefs Association.

The Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act has qualified for the November 2020 ballot and is supported by many cities, business owners, victim groups, and law enforcement, including: California District Attorneys Association, California Police Chiefs Association, Women Escaping a Violent Environment (WEAVE), and the California Business Properties Association.