SAN BERNARDINO - Local officials presented 51,000 signatures from county voters to the county's Registrar of Voters Office on Thursday in support of a November public safety ballot initiative.

County Supervisors Gary Ovitt and Dennis Hansberger and Upland Mayor John Pomierski say the signatures from county voters - and more than 800,000 gathered statewide - show Californians want safer neighborhoods.

"The most important issue in our society is crime and safe neighborhoods," Hansberger said.

The trio spoke in support of the Safe Neighborhoods Act, an initiative that would provide about $1 billion to fund law enforcement programs statewide, said Jana Saastad, communications director for the Safe campaign.

About $365 million will come from general fund revenues generated in the fiscal year beginning July 1, the rest from the state's general fund that will be budgeted specifically for public safety, Saastad said.

The initiative aims to increase penalties for gang members and drug dealers, guarantee sustainable funding for law enforcement and create intervention programs for at-risk youth and rehabilitation programs for criminals, according to a statement from state Sen. George Runner, R-Antelope Valley, who coauthored the initiative.

If 434,000 of the more than 800,000 signatures gathered are valid, the initiative will be placed on the November ballot, Ovitt said.
Zarachy Norris, director of Books not Bars - an Oakland-based advocacy organization for at-risk youth - said the initiative will result in a busted budget, not more busted criminals.

"The ... initiative is an investment in failed `tough on crime' policies that cost too much for California," Norris said. "If we want to tackle the problems of crime in our communities, we need an investment in education, job training and community-based crime prevention programs."

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