Voters in Los Angeles, California will soon have a chance to reverse the damage inflicted by Proposition 47, a George Soros-backed initiative that significantly lessened the legal punishment for drug possession and petty theft. Though California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and others hoped the changes would save taxpayers money, the social costs resulting from Prop. 47 have far eclipsed any potential savings.
Enacted in 2014, Prop. 47 facilitated a dramatic increase in crime – so much so that numerous department stores (such as Walgreens) have been forced to shut down or relocate. Earlier this month, a Nordstrom west of LA was attacked and looted by a group of more than 20 people. That same Nordstrom was hit by a gang of masked individuals in August of 2023. The prior incident (see photo above), which involved some 50 people, was almost certainly organized by a gang or crime ring. Sadly, the few individuals caught and arrested were as young as 13.
In late September, a criminal who had been arrested multiple times for violent offenses and who had been convicted of drug trafficking twice was able to board a public bus, murder an innocent passenger, and hold the driver at gunpoint until authorities arrived – all because his previous crimes were not prosecuted.
All told, violent crime in the LA region has increased by 35% since 2014 (this is roughly four-timers higher than the national average) and has jumped 3.5% on public transportation. Prop. 47 also led to an increase in open-air drug use because prosecutors could no longer use jail time as a threat when convincing drug addicts to seek treatment.
This November, voters will see on their ballots an initiative that will reinstate the penalties that were wiped away by Prop. 47. The new law, known as Prop. 36, promises to:
- Restore jail time as an inducement for rehab and introduce a “treatment-mandated felony” for individuals receiving multiple possession charges
- Punish repeat shoplifters with felony charges
- Lengthen prison sentences for individuals involved with organized crime
- Send drug traffickers to a state prison instead of a county jail
Though roughly 75% of voters support Prop. 36, Governor Newsom and his progressive allies have framed the initiative as a return to the “war on drugs.” Apparently, they believe the increased costs associated with rehab and incarceration will pull funding needed for local schools.
Voters are particularly upset with Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon (D), who opposes Prop. 36 and has been following Prop. 47 policies since 2020. Voters have singlehanded blamed Gascon and his “catch and release” policy for the dramatic increase in cargo theft.
Unfortunately, despite acknowledging the “direct connection between drug sales and violent crime” when she herself served as the District Attorney for San Francisco, presidential candidate Kamala Harris (D) endorsed Gascon in 2020. According to a recent poll conducted by the Institute of Government Studies at UC Berkeley, Gascon currently trails opponent Nathan Hochman (Independent) by 30 points.
Sources:
California’s Law and Order Revolt
Organized crime or gangs could be behind a $300K L.A. ‘flash rob,’ police say