VENTURA – State Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley) and Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks today announced that Secretary of State Debra Bowen has qualified a statewide anti-gang initiative for the November ballot.
"The Safe Neighborhoods Act is a comprehensive and extremely well thought-out initiative designed to combat some of the most serious aspects of criminal behavior plaguing our society," Brooks said. "Among other areas, it enhances our ability to fight criminal street gangs, methamphetamine related crimes, and felons who use guns."
In order to qualify for the ballot, the initiative needed 433,971 valid petition signatures, which is equal to 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2006 General Election. The initiative proponents submitted 789,668 signatures in late April.
"Now California voters have a chance to do what the liberal Legislature has failed to do: Pass true gang reform," said Runner, one of the initiative's authors.
Brooks added: "On a daily basis, officers in our communities are confronted with these serious problems. They deserve all the help they can get in making our communities safer for all residents, including the children who would be further protected by the laws strengthened under this initiative. I fully support the Safe Neighborhoods Act."
Some of the provisions of the initiative would do the following:
• Increase penalties for felons and gang members with guns;
• Create the Early Intervention & Rehabilitation Commission;
• Prohibit bail for illegal aliens charged with violent or gang crimes;
• Heighten penalties for criminal accomplices;
• Strengthen Section 8 Housing compliance;
• Protect witness testimony;
• Create a statewide gang registry;
• Punish smugglers of prison contraband
• Toughen laws for methamphetamine distribution and sales;
• Establish the "Use a gun and lose a car" law;
• Allow counties (that are under federal court order to release jail inmates) to operate temporary jail facilities;
• Impose felony penalties on serial graffiti offenders.
The Safe Neighborhoods Act also has support from Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, State Senate Candidate Tony Strickland (Camarillo) and former Gov. Pete Wilson.

It is supported by every elected California sheriff, the California Police Chiefs' Association, the California District Attorneys Association, Chief Probation Officers' of California and nearly every other law enforcement group including rank and file law enforcement organizations like the Peace Officers Research Association of California.

The initiative is co-authored by Mike Reynolds (father of Three Strikes) and San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt.

Learn more at www.safeneighborhoodsact.com