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19-846RESOLUTION NO. 19.846 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MENIFEE, CALIFORNIA, SUPPORTING REFORMS TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF REALIGNMENT ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE REDUCING CRIME AND KEEPING CALIFORNIA SAFE ACT OF 2O2O WHEREAS, protecting every person in our state, including our most vulnerable children, from violent crime is of the utmost importance. Murderers, rapists, child molesters and other violent criminals should not be released early from prison; and WHEREAS, since 2014, California has had a larger increase in violent crime than the rest of the United States; and WHEREAS, The FBI Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report for 2017, which tracks crimes committed during the first six months of the past year in U.S. cities with populations over '100,000, indicates that in 2017 violent crime increased again in most of California's largest cities. WHEREAS, recent changes to laws allowed the early release of dangerous criminals by the law's failure to define certain crimes as "violent." These changes allowed individuals convicted of sex trafficking of children, rape of an unconscious person, felony assault with a deadly weapon, battery on a police officer or firefighter, and felony domestic violence to be considered "nonviolent offenders."; and WHEREAS, as a result, these so-called "non-violent" offenders are eligible for early release from incarceration 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 mmmunities even when they commit new crimes and violate the terms of their post release community supervision; and WHEREAS, the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2020 ("Act") reforms the law so felons who violate the terms of their release can be brought back to court and held accountable for such violations; and WHEREAS, nothing in the Act 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 2016, California had the second highest increase in theft and property crimes in the United States, while most states have seen a steady decline. According to the California Department of Justice, the value of property stolen in 2015 was $2.5 billion with an increase of 13 percent since 2014, the largest single-year increase in at least ten years; and WHEREAS, grocery store operators around the state have seen unprecedented increases in the amount of losses associated with shoplifting in their stores, with some reporting up to 150% 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 1 WHEREAS, individuals who repeatedly steal often do so to support their drug habit. 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. This measure enacts such reforms; and WHEREAS, collecting DNA from criminals is essential to solving violent crimes. Over 450 violent crimes including murder, rape and robbery have gone unsolved because DNA is being collected from fewer criminals; and WHEREAS, recent changes to California law unintentionally eliminated DNA collection for theft and drug crimes. This measure restores DNA collection from persons convicted for such offenses; and WHEREAS, permitting collection of more DNA samples will help identify suspects, clear the innocent and free the wrongly convicted, and WHEREAS, the Act does not affect existing legal safeguards that protect the privacy of individuals by allowing for the removal of their DNA profile if they are not charged with a crime, are acquitted or are found innocent. NOW, THEREFORE, BE lT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Menifee, California as follows: Section 1.The City Counci! of the City of Menifee hereby expresses its support for the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2020. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of November, 2019 1/Xx{,urr^ffi Attest: h A. Manwaring, City Approved as to form 2 effrey T. Melching,ttorney STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss crTY oF MENIFEE ) l, Sarah A. Manwaring, City Clerk of the City of Menifee, do hereby certify that the foregoing City Council Resolution No. 19-846 was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Menifee at a meeting thereof held on the 6 of November 2019 by the following vote: Ayes: Deines, Liesemeyer, Sobek, August, Zimmerman Noes: NoneAbsent: None Abstain: None h , MMC Clerk n '[rtENtregl:ffir /\E# Op A.