Contact:
Eric Rose (805) 624-0572 or
Paul Haney (626) 755-4759

Los Angeles, May 23, 2009 – Paul M. Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), issued the following statement today regarding the proposal by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to move 23,000 state prisoners to overcrowded county jails:

After this week’s election, the Terminator’s popularity is still strong with one group – "low-level offender" inmates who are eagerly waiting for him to throw open the prison doors. The label low-level for offenders is often misleading. A great number of criminals currently designated as low-level have serious criminal records or have plea bargained to avoid more serious arrest charges.

Virtually every crime in the penal code other than murder, robbery, residential burglary, rape and mayhem can be filed as a misdemeanor, or reduced to a misdemeanor by a judge. So, under the Governor’s new plan, that would leave very few crimes or criminals eligible for state prison.

The Governor’s proposal begs the question: Who exactly, is going to pay for all these low-level offenders to be incarcerated? And where are we going to put them? Putting 23,000 inmates in county jails that are already bursting at the seams will result in more early releases of criminals. The message the Governor is sending to local communities is that criminals, some of whom may be violent and repeat offenders, could all be coming to a local jail near you for less than a year.

One major reason for crime going down in Los Angeles is that law enforcement has been working effectively with the City and District Attorney to put career criminals behind bars. This has led to significant reductions in crime, to levels not seen since 1956.

Under the Governor’s new plan, that is out the window – as is the “three strikes” law. The Los Angeles Police Protective League urges the Governor and state legislators to come up with other cost-savings ideas that do not endanger the communities and the improved public safety that officers across the state have worked so hard to achieve.

About the LAPPLFormed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,800 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.