Bill Watch Charlie Beck Immigration & Justice LAPD Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement Leaders Back Criminal Justice Reforms

Taylor Walker
Written by Taylor Walker

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has officially thrown his support behind California’s so-called “sanctuary state” bill.

The bill, SB 54, aims to prevent the federal government from using state and local public resources—like law enforcement personnel—to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents investigate, arrest, or detain immigrants.

“Our officers enforce criminal violations of state and local law and we are not responsible for the enforcement of immigration status violations,” Chief Beck said. “This Act allows the LAPD to fulfill its mission to keep the community safe, while still maintaining the Department’s ability to continue cultivating the trust of our residents.”

The bill does not, however, stop law enforcement officers from complying with warrants to transfer immigrants who have committed violent crimes into federal custody.

“A warrant requirement will ensure the government confirms a person’s identity and whether they are subject to deportation before they can be detained, thereby preventing citizens, authorized immigrants and victims of crime from being jailed,” said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, who has also come out in support of the bill.

In addition, SB 54, titled the “California Values Act,” would designate schools, hospitals, and courthouses as “safe zones,” banning immigration enforcement on premises.

Addressing concerns from law enforcement, the bill’s author, Senator Kevin De León, amended the bill to allow law enforcement agencies to continue to participate in federal task forces, as long as they are not focused on immigration. The bill also requires California’s Parole Board or the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to give ICE 60 days notice when inmates who have committed violent felonies (or who have prior violent felony convictions) are going to be released.

Beck joins a number of other law enforcement officials and prosecutors who are standing behind the bill.

Earlier this week, former US Attorney General Eric Holder sent a 35-page letter to the current AG, Jeff Sessions, asserting California’s constitutional right to choose not to enforce federal immigration laws.

Holder argued that SB 54 “fully complies with the Constitution and federal law.”

“As a sovereign State, California has the constitutional authority and responsibility to allocate its limited state resources to those areas of greatest significance to the safety and well-being of its residents,” Holder wrote. California is not required, in other words, to divert those resources and compromise its security to enforce federal immigration laws.”

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart, another SB 54 proponent, said “public safety is not enhanced when local law enforcement officers enforce immigration laws or act in a manner that causes suspicion within the diverse communities we service. SB 54 provides a clear delineation between local law enforcement and the federal government and will strengthen trust with all of the communities we are sworn to protect and serve.”

For the past 20 years, Sacramento has barred its police officers from asking people about their immigration status.

“Sacramento is no different from many cities in California,” Sacramento Police Captain James Beezley said in support of SB 54. “We face budget challenges to provide the services that our residents expect and to ensure fiscal stability for the city in future years. We do not have the resources to spare when it comes to enforcing immigration laws.”

Critics, including LA County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, worry that SB 54 “goes too far.” Some argue that individual agencies already have rules in place that keep ICE from overstepping boundaries.

The amended bill is currently working its way through the Assembly’s committees, after which, it will head to the floor for a vote.


LA’s Deputy District Attorneys’ Union, Others, Support Reforming the Sex Offender Registry

Another bill, SB 421, aims to solve some of the major problems created by California’s current sex offender registry.

In California, currently the only state with a lifetime registry in place, there are more than 100,000 people publicly registered as sex offenders.

The bill, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco, would create a tiered sex offender registry based on the seriousness of a person’s offense and their risk of reoffending.

SB 421 has garnered support from victims rights groups as well as the Association of Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA), the California Police Chiefs Association, and the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

“California’s current sexual offender registration law is woefully inflexible,” said Michele Hanisee, ADDA President. “A person who engages in a minor offense is treated the same as the worst offender.”

The bill would break the registry into three tiers. The first tier would include people convicted of misdemeanors and/or non-violent sex crimes, who would remain on the registry for 10 years. Tier two would hold offenders convicted of serious and/or violent sex crimes, who would be registered for 20 years. The final tier would be reserved for violent sex predators and chronic sex offenders, who would remain on the registry for life.

Individuals would not be removed from the registry automatically at the end of 10 or 20 years, but would have the opportunity to petition to be removed from registry under specific conditions.

The district attorney would then be able to request a hearing on the petition.

Tier three individuals would also be able to petition to be moved to tier two if they meet certain requirements.

“We support this legislation for a number of reasons,” Hanissee said. “A tiered system based upon the nature of the offense, the age of the offender and the likelihood of re-offense, is just to the offenders and to the public the system is supposed to protect.”

Moreover, lowering the length of time low-level offenders would spend on the registry “will also allow law enforcement to direct more resources into monitoring high-risk offenders,” Hanisee continued. “High-risk offenders will be stringently monitored while low-risk offenders will not be forced to deal with the devastating impact of lifetime registration.”

14 Comments

  • Continue importing terrorists and poverty. Raise taxes and see where we are 20 years from now. Oh yeah, realignment, Proposition 47, etc… All working out just fine.

  • Your caption is rich considering the presence of Eric Holder, one of the most lawless attorneys general in our history. His racial animus toward whites was unmatched, and his tolerance of black on white crime was embarrassing at best – conspiratorial at worst. Remember the “new black panthers” with clubs outside a polling place who were there to scare away white voters? Google it for fun and ask yourself this: if it had been whites outside a polling place trying to keep blacks out, how fast would they have been prosecuted by the feds, and would you liberals have joined in the Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton marches? I can hear the chanting in the distance – “we shall overcome….”

  • Gentlemen, I suspect you guys would find any black man intimidating, assuming you aren’t wearing the uniform. God forbid there is a black man outside the polling place “intimidating” old white ladies or pretty little white girls. And, if you are wearing the uniform, then you would probably find the black man to be “suspicious.” I think you guys should lay off Google, and instead of getting your knowledge and wisdom from Wikipedia, pick up a decent newspaper or book.

    Instead of worrying about mean-looking black guys (they all look that way to you, I’m sure), perhaps you should look for LAPD officers having sex with 15 year-olds. Great public service you have in that cadet program. But, I suspect you will probably turn it around and allege the 15-year old attacked the nice officer and landed on his penis. And, no doubt the LAPPL will turn this into the “we need more police” argument, the same tired one they have been making for the last 30-40 years. Well, I guess if there were more officers, Officer Cain could have gone on a double date with another fine, upstanding officer. But, you keep looking for illegals, terrorists and mean black men, and keep us safe. Thank you for your service.

  • CF:

    “And instead of getting your knowledge and wisdom from Wikipedia, pick up a decent newspaper or book.”

    Gallup Poll found that only 32% of the American public finds what it reads in the MSM to be trustworthy; that finding was published on September of 2016, about ten months ago, and it can be Googled.

    32%.

    I am now reading John Grisham’s newest book “Camino Island,” and I do find it full of wisdom, knowledge, and insight.

  • Now now cf you’re back sliding , there’s that sexual innuendo again. By the way, how’s the Sexton family doing these days? I remember you were quite fond of little Jimmy, you guys still sharing mouth guards and what not? Remember to stay away from the leaded paint ,you seem to be rambling quite incoherently these days.

  • Briefly back on topic before CF muddies the water again.

    California will gladly take (and demand) federal dollars for projects and even policing but refuses to cooperate with the feds. Don’t police officers in California take their oaths first to the Constitution of the United States and then to that of California? California is becoming a 3 year-old child throwing a temper tantrum. So, when federal dollars dry up as a result of this petulance what then? It’s rich watching Eric Holder declare California a sovereign state when he forced Arizona to stop protecting its own sovereign border from illegal aliens. Grabbing my popcorn to watch the impending implosion.

  • CF, I don’t find anyone intimidating but some do take more of my patience than I like to give them, but I do. See most people really don’t want a confrontation they just want to be able to have their say and these days you let them have it to the point you have to wrap things up. That’s when Monday morning little girls like you start crying about what the big bad cop did wrong all due to the color of the guy and no other reason which is your constant dance here. Do you not know any other move when everything points you out to be such a liar?

  • Charlie Beck, your long held political ambitions have made you a disgrace to LAPD. With your support of Prop 54 to make California a Sanctuary City, which it was made long ago, it is obvious you have sold out, again. Now go get your shoeshine box Charlie, the Mayor wants a touch up and buff.

  • All’s your site does is spread fake news of fake people. Allowing bogus Anthony Brown cell phone records to bankrupt society, imposing hidden truths in Pandoras Box. Connecting soft banks and synchronicites to morally bankrupt society, and blame the victims. Spreading the SPA STDs around to threaten people and capture there freedom into NEO nationalization. Exchanging insurance into a death sentence if the algorithm does define you, or your behavior can’t be predicted by a machine, you are not allowed freedom of America.

  • Hey Spade, Did you feel and say the same about Chief Gates when he implemented “Special Order 40”.

  • Notwithstanding any sanctuary jurisdiction legislation, and Holder’s worthless advisory opinions to the contrary, Beck, Hart, Beezley, and the rest of these sanctuary jurisdiction fools are susceptible to federal indictments for 8 USC 1324 – harboring illegal aliens, 18 USC 1505 – obstructing due administration of justice, and 18 USC 371 – conspiracy. Haven’t they heard about the relationship between ham sandwiches and indictments? They should check with former LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, and Undersheriff Paul Tanaka about that, and the advisability of getting caught up in the federal criminal justice system.

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