CC RES 2020-053 RESOLUTION NO. 2020-53
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA, IN SUPPORT
OF PROPOSITION 20, THE "CRIMINAL SENTENCING,
PAROLE, AND DNA COLLECTION INITIATIVE"
WHEREAS, protecting every person in our state, including our most vulnerable
children, from violent crime is of the utmost importance. Rapists, child molesters and other
violent criminals should not be released early from prison; and,
WHEREAS, recent changes to parole laws allow the early release of dangerous
criminals by the law's failure to define certain crimes as "violent," and these changes
allowed individuals convicted of sex trafficking of children, rape of an unconscious person,
felony assault with a deadly weapon, and felony domestic violence to be considered
"nonviolent" offenders; and,
WHEREAS, as a result, these "nonviolent" offenders are eligible for early release
from prison after serving only a fraction of the sentence ordered by a judge; and,
WHEREAS, violent offenders are also being allowed to remain free in our
communities even when they commit new crimes and violate the terms of their post
release community supervision; and,
WHEREAS, Proposition 20 reforms the law so felons who violate the terms of their
release will be brought back to court upon their third violation and can be held accountable
for such violations; and,
WHEREAS, nothing in the Proposition is intended to create additional "strike"
offenses which would increase the state prison population; nor is it intended to affect the
ability of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to award educational
and merit credits; and,
WHEREAS, recent changes to California law allow individuals who steal
repeatedly to face few consequences, regardless of their criminal record or how many
times they steal; and,
WHEREAS, as a result, between 2014 and 2019, California saw a 30% increase
in certain theft and property crimes, while most states have seen a steady decline; and,
WHEREAS, according to the California Department of Justice, the value of
property stolen has increased 25% since 2014; and,
WHEREAS, grocery store operators and other retail outlets around the state have
111 seen unprecedented increases in the amount of losses associated with shoplifting in
their stores, with some reporting up to 150 percent increases in these, losses from 2012
to present, with the largest jumps occurring since 2014; and,
WHEREAS, shoplifting incidents have started to escalate in such a manner that
have endangered innocent customers and employees; and,
WHEREAS, individuals who repeatedly steal often do so to support their drug
habit, but recent changes to California law have reduced judges' ability to order
individuals convicted of repeated theft crimes into effective drug treatment programs; and,
WHEREAS, California needs stronger laws for those who are repeatedly convicted
of theft related crimes, which will encourage those who repeatedly steal to support their
drug problem to enter into existing drug treatment programs, and this Proposition would
enact such reforms; and,
WHEREAS, collecting DNA from criminals is essential to solving violent crimes,
and over 450 violent crimes including murder, rape and robbery have gone unsolved
because DNA is being collected from fewer criminals; and,
WHEREAS, DNA collected in 2015 from a convicted child molester solved the
rape-murders of two six year-old boys that occurred three decades ago in Los Angeles
County; and DNA collected in 2016 from an individual caught driving a stolen car solved
the 2012 San Francisco Bay Area rape-murder of an 83-year-old woman; and,
WHEREAS, recent changes to California law unintentionally eliminated DNA
collection for theft and drug crimes, but this Proposition restores DNA collection from
persons convicted for such offenses; and,
WHEREAS, permitting collection and more DNA samples will help identify
suspects, clear the innocent and free the wrongly convicted; and,
WHEREAS, this Proposition does not affect existing legal safeguards that protect
the privacy of individuals by allowing for their removal of their DNA profile if they are not
charged with a crime, are acquitted or are found innocent.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes does
hereby resolve as follows:
Section 1: The City Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby goes on
record as supporting passage of Proposition 20 on the November 3, 2020 ballot.
Section 2: The City Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby
authorizes listing the City as a member of the "Keep California Safe Coalition."
Section 3: Staff are hereby directed to email a copy of this adopted resolution
to Jeffrey Monical of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs at jeffrey@lavell.net.
II
Resolution No 2020-53
Page 2 of 3
IIIPASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 6th day of October 2020.
,illi /
John ruiks .nk, Mayor
Attest:
-_--___4ct.te_akRt_. Dem/Ler-
mily Colborn, 6ity Clerk
State of California )
County of Los Angeles ) ss
City of Rancho Palos Verdes )
I, Emily Colborn, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, hereby certify that
the above Resolution No. 2020-53 was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the
111 said City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on October 6, 2020
ily Colborn, City Clerk
I
Resolution No 2020-53
Page 3 of 3