An exclusive column penned for the FlashReport by State Senator George Runner and San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt.  

Publisher's Note:  As part of an ongoing effort to bring original, thoughtful commentary to you here at the FlashReport, I am pleased to present this exclusive column authored by State Senator George Runner and San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt - Flash.]  If you are new to the FlashReport, please check out the main site and the acclaimed FlashReport Weblog on California politics.

Hollywood portrays gang violence as an urban phenomenon, affecting only poor, urban dwellers. This has created an illusion that gang violence is a city problem, not a suburban or rural problem.  

In reality, gang crime affects all Californians regardless of where they live or their socio-economic status.

Gangs operate everywhere – from inner cities to the suburbs, in the most remote parts of the state and even in posh neighborhoods. 

In rural communities, abandoned trailers and outbuildings have become ideal locations for criminals to “cook” methamphetamine – their waste product taints the soil and groundwater and endangers nearby dwellers, while the meth itself ruins the lives of hundreds of thousands of Californians every year.

Meth houses have also become common place in suburban neighborhoods and cities often ran by gang members for street distribution.

In the Great Central Valley, amid the pristine fields, orchards and vineyards, an overture of violence has given way in formerly peaceful cities such as Modesto, Madera, Fresno and Bakersfield.

Suburban communities once revered for family-friendly amenities such as Elk Grove in Sacramento County and Lancaster and Palmdale in Los Angeles County, and Montclair and Ontario in San Bernardino County, are now havens for street gangs. Like many California suburban cities, fast population growth has outpaced police resources, giving gangs the ability to flourish, and law enforcement little chance to keep pace.

All of these communities face the same problems: An increase in homicide, theft, aggravated assault, public nuisances, graffiti, and methamphetamine trafficking. In the process, good people move out of fear, or if they can’t afford to move, they have bar their windows and live indoors intimidated by gangs, like in a San Fernando Valley neighborhood known as the “Witch Hat.”

There is no reason why we should continue to allow gangs and street criminals to terrorize our neighborhoods. It is time we put an end to elder gang members “recruiting” our children to join crime syndicates.

As a society, we are not truly free if we are afraid to venture out into our own communities, fearing violence and crime. We are not civilized if we allow thugs to continue to run amuck in our neighborhoods.

These criminals will continue to advance, and we will lose thousands of more vulnerable kids to gangs unless we stop the piecemeal approach to fighting gangs and offer our citizens real solutions to tackle the problem, once and for all. 

That’s why we, along with Mike Reynolds, father of “Three Strikes,” have introduced the Safe Neighborhoods Act, a sweeping measure that will create true intervention and rehabilitation to prevent kids from joining gangs and decrease the recidivism rate. The bill also increases resources and offers 21st century tools for law enforcement, and strengthens penalties for thugs and gang members who terrorize our families and intimidate witnesses.

Supported by law enforcement agencies up and down the state – including Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca – the measure was submitted to the California Attorney General’s office on Oct. 22 for a title and summary in preparation for the November 2008 election. 

We are confident that Californians will not only put this measure on the ballot, but that they will give overwhelming approval – as they always have with tough-on-crime laws.

It is time to take back our streets and make our neighborhoods safe again.