The Redding City Council made it clear Tuesday that it wants no part of Proposition 47, despite its family friendly title of the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.
The council voted 5-0 in favor of a resolution opposing the initiative, which will be before California voters on Nov. 4.
If passed, Proposition 47 would mandate misdemeanor sentencing for grand theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, possession of illegal drugs and other non-violent crimes; state prison inmates convicted of those crimes would be resentenced.
The savings California would realize from dealing with approximately 10,000 fewer state prison inmates would go towards mental health and drug treatment programs, schools and crime victims.
Mayor Rick Bosetti likened the proposition to an extension of the Public Safety Realignment Act (AB 109), which was enacted in 2011 to reduce California’s prison population by diverting certain non-violent offenders to county jails and shifting their post-release supervision to county probation officers instead of parole agents.
“This is a way for the state to balance the budget without raising taxes and we don’t have the revenue to deal with it,” Bosetti said.
Proposition 47 is opposed by both the League of California Cities and the California Police Chiefs Association. Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti also is opposed. “This will lighten sentences for non-serious crimes, and I consider grand theft and burglary to be serious crimes,” Paoletti said.
Bosetti said an “AB 109 flophouse” in his east Redding subdivision is responsible for a plague of break-ins and auto burglaries in the neighborhood. He believes the car batteries and other stolen items are sold to support drug use. “And they’re going to be rehabilitated?”
Councilman Gary Cadd said the property crime rates in his west Redding neighborhood are just as high.
Doug Bennett of the Shasta-Trinity-Tehama Chapter of the ACLU of Northern California spoke in favor of Proposition 47, saying the initiative would begin addressing sentencing imbalances that put an inordinate number of people in prison. Those people, including drug users and the mentally ill, could receive the treatment they need and become productive members of the community, Bennett said.
In other action Tuesday, the council:
–Commended Airports Manager Rod Dinger for his work in securing a $450,000 federal grant to help SkyWest Airlines with the transition from 30-seat turboprop planes to 50-seat jets. SkyWest Airlines is the only passenger airline serving Redding. The grant, from the Small Community Air Service Development Program, would help SkyWest defray the cost of upgrading its fleet.
Negotiations with SkyWest have not yet started and there is no timetable in place for the conversion to jets.
–Issued proclamations announcing the formal recognition of October as both Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence awareness month. Thursday, Oct. 16, was noted as Think Pink Day for the city of Redding.
–Observed a moment of silence to honor former Councilman Dick Dickerson, who died Sept. 29 at the age of 77. Prior to serving eight years on the council, Dickerson served two terms in the state Assembly and was a member of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors for four years.
Jon Lewis is a freelance writer living in Redding. He has more than 30 years experience writing for newspapers and magazines. Contact him at jonpaullewis@gmail.com.
