Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

SACRAMENTO – Sen. George Runner (R-Antelope Valley) today introduced two measures in the Senate Public Safety Committee – one that would protect our communities from parolees who have been released early from state prison, and the other making the job environment safer for peace officers. The former passed the committee, while the other was “held over” by the committee chairman on the basis that it will exacerbate the state’s prison crowding.

“I am pleased the GPS bill was approved – local law enforcement's hands are full with parolees who have been released from the purview of state Corrections and dumped into our communities,” Runner said. “This bill provides better safety for our families and neighborhoods.”

Senate Bill 1452 allows the local sheriff or police department to require parolees to wear an electronic monitoring device for the duration of their parole period.

The bill is in response to non-revocable parole, which became law (Senate Bill 18xxx) on Jan. 25, and allowed the state to begin the process of releasing thousands of inmates to the parole system without state Corrections support or supervision.

The measure has the support of statewide law enforcement agencies. It passed on 5-0 vote and moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senate Bill 1419 met a different fate when it was held over on what’s known as the “ROCA file” by Senate Public Safety Chairman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) due to his concern for prison “crowding” instead of a focus on the deterrent factor of laws that create stiffer penalties.

(ROCA – or Receivership/Overcrowding Crisis Aggravation – was created by former Senate Public Safety Chairwoman Gloria Romero, an East Los Angeles Democrat) in 2007 in an effort to restrict any bill that would strengthen penalties for violent and dangerous crimes).

The intent of Senate Bill 1419 was to broaden the scope of “gassing,” or throwing feces, to include all peace officers, not just prison and jail guards, Runner said.

“Correctional officers are routinely victims of this reprehensible crime,” he added. “Unfortunately, peace officers are assaulted all too often with body excrement just as routinely. We need to protect all of our law enforcement officers from this dangerous act.”