“When you’re in the trenches, you know this is not a housing crisis, but a drug addiction and mental illness crisis. Prop. 47 is a dismal failure and an inhumane way to deal with drug addiction and homelessness.”
Ronald A. Lawrence, the Citrus Heights Chief of Police and President of the California Police Chiefs Association where he represents all 333 municipal police chiefs in the entire state, says Proposition 47 can be blamed for the increase in homelessness and drug addiction.
“When you’re in the trenches, you know this is not a housing crisis, but a drug addiction and mental illness crisis. Prop. 47 is a dismal failure and an inhumane way to deal with drug addiction and homelessness. Before it went into effect, we had mechanisms and means to get people the help they needed,” says Lawrence who has spent thirty years in law enforcement.
Proposition 47, also referred to as The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, decriminalized drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor, which removed law enforcement’s ability to make an arrest in most circumstances and therefore the court’s ability to order drug rehabilitation programs. Another factor of the proposition was to raise the theft threshold to $950 per location, also making it a misdemeanor from a felony.
Lawrence adds, “Arrests are not the problem, addiction is. Cops are now issuing citations to drug users with dangerous drugs. It’s a misnomer cops want to throw people in jail. No one wants drug addicts to stay in prison; we want them to get clean and be productive members of society. But what people fail to see is unless an addict hits rock bottom, they are not going to get the help they need. The criminal justice system and court mandated rehab was the best chance we had to save their lives.”
“Governor Brown had a choice. He could have built more prisons, but instead he reduced the population by releasing or pushing inmates to local county jails, which are not designed to house someone past a year and prevents law enforcement from taking low-level offenders in,” explains Lawrence.
He believes the culmination of the last decade of criminal justice reform starting with Assembly Bill 109, which overwhelmed county jails by housing nonviolent offenders from prison, has been a failure. Add to that Proposition 57, the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act, which allows nonviolent felons to qualify for early release, also made it to where the parole board can only consider an inmate’s most recent charge, not their entire history.
Some of the crimes that are considered “nonviolent” in California are human trafficking of a child, rape of an unconscious person or by intoxication, drive by shooting at inhabited dwelling or vehicle, assault with a firearm or deadly weapon, assault on a police officer, serial arson, exploding a bomb to injure people, solicitation to commit murder, assault from a caregiver to a child under eight years old that could result in a coma or death and felony domestic violence. Questions Lawrence, “Domestic violence has the word ‘violent’ in the title. How is this possible?”
“The number one thing people can do is support the California Criminal Sentencing, Parole and DNA Collection Initiative (formerly known as the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act) in November. This initiative intends to fix some of the unintended consequences of propositions 47 and 57. It would require a parole board to consider an inmate’s entire criminal history when considering release. It would also reduce the ceiling from $950 to $250 on a third conviction for petty theft, which can allow the district attorney’s office to do a wobbler (charge as a misdemeanor or a felony). This is designed for repeat offenders who continue to rip us off, not for first-time offenders,” says Lawrence.
“If the source of the problem is drug addiction, now the court can mandate drug rehabilitation, which forces addicts into programs when they didn’t know they needed it in the first place,” Lawrence said. “The criminal justice system plays a role in getting people help, and law enforcement does all we can for those who want that help, but our failed state policies have eroded those mechanisms.”
Lawrence, who has been a chief of police for nine years, believes in a philosophical, hands on, tough love approach when dealing with the homeless population. “We do our own count once a year, which is much more accurate than the Point-in-Time (PIT) count. We ask about drug addiction, mental illness and veteran status. We have a navigator who gets people into the right programs. We enforce all ordinances on the books, including aggressive panhandling and shopping carts, which we return to the stores. Our city isn’t as politically influenced as other cities; we have a very supportive Mayor and City Council.”
“The documentary, Seattle is Dying, is a precursor to what is happening in California,” he says. “We need to start with policies at the state level and voters need to do their homework and look who is supporting initiatives and ballots. Police chiefs are about public health and safety. When we oppose or support a policy, it’s always in the best interest for those two things. The California Police Chiefs Association is nonpartisan and closely watches 500-600 bills a year related to public safety. Those bills that are bad for public safety, we oppose and those that promote public safety, we support.”
“Those who championed state policies that had negative consequences to public safety, unintended or otherwise, need to own those decisions. But this is not a time to cast blame or point fingers over negative causes of crucial issues such as homelessness. We should not concern ourselves with the past, but rather work to find real solutions to address the burdening homelessness issue, drug addiction crisis and mental health needs in California. The California Criminal Sentencing, Parole and DNA Collection Initiative is one path forward to a better future, and it’s up to the voters to set a new course.”
View Comments (39)
A must-read article for California voters. Thanks Ramona Russell.
Thank You Ramona for another informative article on what plagues most California cities.
One fact that does not get enough attention is the name of the initiatives. The A.G. chooses titles that sound good to most uninformed voters, such as Prop 47, The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act. One would assume we are protecting our neighborhoods and children, which is far from the reality of the bill’s intent! This needs to stop!
It is my hope with articles like yours, readers will share with family, friends, neighbors to make an effective change.
Keep doing what your doing , we need your voice!
Great comment!! If I could add...when I do community presentations and tell the room they voted for Prop 47, overwhelmingly, their jaws hit the ground. Names and titles are deceiving.
Prop 47 has been an abysmal failure!
The problem started when Ronald Reagan closed state mental hospitals and other treatment facilities across the state and dumped thousands of addicts and mentally ill onto our streets saying the private sector and churches would step in and provide the services and treatment needed. Nope.
Incorrect: former Governor Ronald Reagan did not close the state’s mental hospitals as the leftist media has incorrectly repeated for 50 years. It was President John F. Kennedy who in his October 31, 1963 legislation –The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 — ordered the building of 1,500 mental health centers, while closing many mental health hospitals over time, known as deinstitutionalization. Governors were just required to execute on the President’s Executive Order, while at the same time, Congress failed to fund the mental health centers.
What about the Mental_Health_Systems_Act_of_1980? That was In 1981 President Ronald Reagan and the U.S. Congress repealed most of the law.
Pres. Kennedy said when he signed the 1963 bill that the legislation to build community 1,500 centers would mean the population of those living in state mental hospitals — at that time more than 500,000 people — could be cut in half. The idea was to de-federalize and localize mental institutions by having states in charge. The MHSA of 1980, authored by Sen. Ted Kennedy, signed into law by Pres. Jimmy Carter, was a denouncement to JFK's Executive Order, attempting rehabilitation of people with severe mental illnesses,. Pres. Reagan and Congress converted the remaining funding of the MHSA into mental health block grants for states, allowing them to spend it however they chose.
worsens the homeless..
no right program.
need no help from agençies
money,greed
no funding.
as any hurting, help individual.
closed mi wards..equal to family force
into a board and care.force drug,..ss checks taken.give a
1$ a day,.,
feed on schedule..if extra ,yeh!
no menus..be on time for 3 meals..share a room..
bathroom for six..same treatment ..
as elderly .convalescent homes.family throw out elderly parents or parent ..sell home.flip.flip
bc was cheap rent.family steal for pleasures..
all get rich scheme ss any disabled child on ss
You are incorrect - it was Reagan who took away all funding For MHSA - I was working in mental health at the time - He decided the mentally ill should work ! Guess what ? Imagine trying to work when the voices in you head don’t go away , even when you are so sedated you can’t think straight ! These are the homeless ! The government failed them !
Leigh, I wonder if I could chat with you. My father worked in the California Department of Mental Hygiene (as it was called then) and I'd like to ask a few non-political questions about that era, under Pat Brown or Reagan.
You can reach me at JasonNeller@gmail.com. I'll delete this comment after a week.
THANK YOU.... I remember that to, now we hear of why those places can't be opened again to help these people that need help its easy to turn and look away and that is what our governor of California has been doing and the rest,,,,,,,
Exactly! This happened all over the country.
Some truth there is not enough help for the mental ill and drug addicts. It’s easy to say lock them up but give an portion “go to jail to go to treatment”
We need to peel the onion back further. Why is addiction the problem?
Everyones reason will be different. The path to addiction varies from individual to individual, and includes childhood experiences to genetics to injury to choice. The problem is the inability to make the addict address the issue, and instead make an entire town live with the life choices (because that which you do not change, you choose) of these individuals.
This is exactly what is happening. Everyone else has to deal with the horrible behaviors of the out of control individual and if we stand up and say this is insane the homeless indsrtl complex pimps step in to bully the honest folk.
"because that which you do not change, you choose"
yup
Yes! That's the core of it. But, the justifying advocates keep putting the blame on the rest of us.
How's that even logical?
Perhaps the disintegration of family, values, morals and easy access to drugs and pain-numbing substances.
Just a thought.
Thank you for this article. It's about time the harsh realities of this epidemic are clearly explained. This is an entirely different and accurate portrayal of what is truly driving the homeless onto our streets. Repeal 47 and 57, reinstate drug court and get these people off the streets and into treatment and a better life. We should also re-examine what is determined as non violent crime. It's a disgrace to society what criminals are allowed to get away with!
Would like to ask if someone on staff could write an article comparing Calif govt workers salaries compared to the private sector. An article written three years ago summarized a California study indicating the average Calif govt worker was making $121k on average vs a private sector worker making $62k. This is why any proposition (esp 13) needs to be voted NO on. California is receiving far more tax than it needs! This needs to be publicized
I am a retired probation officer. I would love to be paid that salary you quoted. Don't think your facts are correct, unless you are referring to people in office or management.
Would love to see AB1946 and SB40 become law. That would help get these transient/drug addicts/alcoholics/mental health issue people help.
Excellent report.
The laws have to be changed so the officer can arrest and jail, Like in the old days. The lazy can stay in jail or get a job. The mental ill and addicts can go the rehab to get treated and released. Some will never get out. We must keep our cities safe.
Great comment!! If I could add...when I do community presentations and tell the room they voted for Prop 47, overwhelmingly, their jaws hit the ground. Names and titles are deceiving. Katy Grimes, you are my hero...many people are quick to blame Reagan. Thank you