FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Jana Saastad
Tuesday, October 30, 2007	Phone: (916) 337-7098

ANTELOPE VALLEY LEADERS SUPPORT RUNNERS' PUBLIC SAFETY BALLOT INITIATIVE

Anti-gang and street crime measure to go before voters in November 2008

LANCASTER – Antelope Valley leaders joined Sen. George Runner (R-Antelope Valley) and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner (R-Lancaster) today to show support for the legislators’ public safety initiative that would strengthen anti-gang and street crime laws, create accountable intervention and rehabilitation programs; and provide sustained funding for law enforcement to fight street crimes

Joining the Runners were Capt. Carl Deeley, of the Los Angeles Sheriff Lancaster station; Palmdale City Councilman Steve Knight; Antelope Valley War on Gangs Co-chair R. Rex. Parris; Lancaster City Councilman Ron Smith; and Palmdale Section 8 Housing Investigator Lee D’Errico.

“California law enforcement has done an excellent job fighting crime in the past few years,” Senator Runner said. “But recent increases in murder and robbery and the precipitous rise of methamphetamine distribution concern us. We believe these serious problems demand a forceful response.”

The initiative, known as the Safe Neighborhoods Act: Protect Victims, Stop Gangs & Thugs, is a comprehensive public safety initiative with four objectives:
* Create intervention and rehabilitation programs that are held accountable to the public;
* Enhance penalties for gang members, felons with guns, methamphetamine dealers and other street thugs;
* Guarantee tools and sustainable resources for law enforcement;
* Protect victims and their families.

Assemblywoman Runner said the ballot approach is necessary because true public safety measures tend to go nowhere in the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

“Tough-on-crime legislation rarely receives fair and balanced public hearings in the Senate or Assembly Public Safety committees let alone passage in either house,” Assemblywoman Runner said. “Furthermore, public safety funding is in jeopardy every year to make way for other budgetary items. Although the Victims’ Bill of Rights in the California Constitution says ‘…public safety is protected and encouraged as a goal of highest importance.’ ”

Capt. Deeley said California law enforcement faces unique challenges, and therefore agencies need sustained funding if California is to curb the distribution of methamphetamine, curtail other dangerous street crimes and win the war on gangs.

“Quite often, we receive money for one program and lose money for another. The Safe Neighborhoods Act puts an end to this ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ approach to funding public safety,” Deeley said.

The measure was submitted to Attorney General Jerry Brown for “title and summary” last week. To read the initiative, please visit: http://ag.ca.gov/cms_pdfs/initiatives/i745_07-0076_Initiative.pdf

To qualify for the November 2008 ballot, 433,971signatures are necessary by April, 2008.

The Runners jointly authored Jessica’s Law, which gained overwhelmingly approval from the voters on the November 2006 ballot.

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